Felipe Calderon

Felipe Calderon is the current President of Mexico. The results of his election in 2006 were hotly contested, but officially upheld. Although initially unpopular due to the election controversy and a few controversial executive decisions¹, Calderon's popularity has slowly risen in the country².

Fast Facts

1. Full name: Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa
2. Born: August 18, 1962 in Morelia, Mexico
3. Political party: National Action Party (PAN)
4. Current President of Mexico
5. Assumed office: December 1, 2006
6. Preceded by: Vicente Fox
7. Previous office: Secretary of Energy
8. Wife: Margarita Zavala
9. 36% of Mexicans believe election results were in error or fraudulent³

Contested Election

When the election results were announced in July, 2006, Calderon's opponent Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador contested their validity. And although Calderon's win was eventually confirmed by the Federal Election Tribunal, many people still refused to believe that he won legitimately. Public surveys showed that over 36% of Mexicans believe election results were either in error or fraudulent³

Presidential Policies

Since becoming president, Calderon has increased the money given to programs for regional development, continued the open foreign policy plan initiated by Vicente Fox and reformed immigration policy. He has also enacted several controversial economic reform plans including a price cap on tortillas, a government-funded employment program, and caps on civil servant salaries.

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