The first question raised by the election and its messy aftermath is whether Mr Calderón can govern Mexico. The second is whether he can restore it to a path of democratic progress and rapid economic growth. This survey will argue that, contrary to appearances, he has an extraordinary opportunity to do both—but only by being far bolder than his predecessor in tackling the many vestiges of the old order that are still holding the country back. Many of these involve monopoly power, public and private, political and economic. They cover a broad range: from the teachers' union to Pemex, the state oil monopoly, and Telmex, a private telecoms near-monopoly. It is these bastions of unaccountable power, rather than Mr López Obrador's antics, that are the real threat to Mr Calderón's government and to Mexico as a whole.

The Economist esta semana tiene un estudio sobre México. Bien interesante como siempre