In the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, the phrase “Chinguen a su madre, qué manera de legislar” (roughly translated as “Screw them, what a way to legislate”) was repeatedly heard during the presentation of reservations to the 2025 Federal Expenditure Budget (PEF) dictamen. The atmosphere became tense, with the President of the Board of Directors, Sergio Gutiérrez, having to intervene and ask security personnel to calm the deputies and remove those who were not legislators from the session hall. A laser pointer was also pointed at the PRI deputy Eduardo Gutiérrez while he was presenting his reservation, leading to a motion of order being requested by the PAN deputy Israel Damián.
A total of 1,029 reservations were registered, but none were accepted by Morena and its allies, who approved the PEF 2025 by 353 votes in favor and 128 against, amounting to 9.3 trillion pesos with the reallocation of 44 billion pesos. The deputies of the opposition criticized the budget cuts to Health, Education, and Security, among other areas, and the allocation of resources to the Tren Maya and the Dos Bocas refinery. The PAN deputies Antonio Borboa, Patricia Jiménez, and the MC deputy Javier Farías criticized the Morena majority’s way of legislating, with Farías citing the late Porfirio Muñoz Ledo’s phrase. Patricia Jiménez also criticized the budget cuts to the health sector, while Antonio Borboa lamented the destruction of education and security. The PT deputy Karina Rojo defended herself against the opposition’s attacks, and the PRI deputy Luis Gerardo Sánchez criticized the clientelist nature of the budget. Finally, the Morena coordinator, Ricardo Monreal, highlighted the approval of the PEF 2025 in less than 12 hours and the absence of protesters outside the San Lázaro building.
Title: Between Insults and No Changes, Deputies Approve PEF 2025; Sent to Executive for Publication
On Thursday, the Mexican Chamber of Deputies approved the 2025 Public Expenditure Budget (PEF) without any changes, despite heated debates and insults exchanged between lawmakers. The approved budget, which totals MXN 6.26 trillion (approximately USD 326 billion), was sent to the executive branch for publication in the Official Gazette.
The approval process was marred by tension and disagreements among deputies. The ruling party, Morena, faced criticism from opposition parties over its handling of the budget and budgetary rules. Some deputies accused Morena of disrespecting the plenary session by not presenting the PEF 2025 on time and ignoring the requests for changes made by the opposition.
The opposition deputies retaliated with harsh words, with one deputy from the National Action Party (PAN) allegedly calling a Morena deputy "a highway robber." In response, Morena deputies accused the opposition of seeking to deplete public finances and not representing the interests of the people.
Despite the acrimonious atmosphere, the deputies did not propose any changes to the PEF 2025. The budget maintains the proposed revisions to the Tax Coordination Law, including the elimination of value-added tax (VAT) on food and medicine, which was a key campaign promise of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The PEF 2025 projects a reactivation of the Mexican economy, with a growth rate of 4% for next year. The budget allocates MXN 254 billion (USD 13.2 billion) for the Survival Programs and MXN 204 billion (USD 10.6 billion) for pensions, creating jobs, and supporting peasant and rural businesses.
The approved budget will now be sent to the Executive branch for publication in the Official Gazette. However, the final approval of the PEF is subject to modifications and agreements with the Senate, which still needs to issue its opinion on the document.
The tense approval process reflects the deep political divides in Mexico, with the ruling party and the opposition engaged in a power struggle that has implications for the direction of the country’s financial policy. Despite the disagreements, the deputies managed to approve the PEF 2025, ensuring the continuity of public spending and the national economy.
