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Articles

Vol. 32 No. 1 (2012)

Uruguay: Where is the Pilot? Two years after the inauguration of president Mujica (2010-2011)

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-090X2012000100014
Submitted
December 24, 2019
Published
2019-12-24

Abstract

This article analyzes the Uruguayan political juncture during 2010-2011. To that end, the paper is divided in five sections. Section one reviews the medium term economic context as well as some indicators related to poverty and income distribution. Section two focuses on the new elected government in 2009. In particular, this section describes and analyzes the agenda setting process defined by president Mujica, the new cabinet appointments and the first steps to achieve multiparty agreements on a set of policy areas defined by the president’s agenda. We review these processes, by exploring the way in which president Mujica leads his own agenda and interacts within and outside his own party and the legislature to endorse his policy proposals. Section three focuses on the Legislative branch and the way in which the Executive is able to cartelize the agenda by sponsoring and endorsing legislation. Section four briefly reviews the subnational elections held in 2010, after performing the only institutional innovation since the constitutional reform in 1996. Section five reviews and concludes with the main issues covered during 2010 and 2011.