Democracies around the world will elect their government officials this year; besides the much-discussed upcoming Western democratic elections–like the upcoming US elections, Polis180 is dedicated to shedding light on democratic elections in other parts of the world. Therefore, we are proud to present our new blog series titled „The Democratic Panorama in Latin America“, in which we report on the current state of Latin American affairs focusing on general elections.
by Aitana Mollyk
To start off with the blog series, we will focus on one of the most recent elections in the region: Panama. Panama hats, Panama canal, Panama papers…what do we actually know about Panama? Panama is located in the Southern end of the Central American continent. It borders South America, thus connecting the North and the South of the American continent. Its largest city and capital city, Panama City is home to over a million people. Its rainforests are biologically diverse and untamed.
Panama’s 2024 general elections were held on Sunday, May 5. In these elections, the President, and Vice President of the Republic, 20 deputies to the Central American Parliament, 71 deputies to the National Assembly, 81 mayors, 702 municipal representatives and 11 councilors were elected. José Raúl Mulino Quintero was declared president-elect with 34.36% of the votes and took over office on July 1, 2024.
A look at the country’s current affairs
How do elections work in Panama? Like other countries in the region, Panama is a presidential representative democratic republic with executive, legislative and judicial branches. Its political system operates within the framework of its 1972 Constitution: The President of Panama is both Head of State and Head of Government and is democratically elected by the public in a multi-party system. Interestingly, there is only one round of voting, unlike any other presidential democracy in Latin America. This explains why Mulino won the election with a relative majority of 34.36% of the popular vote: An absolute majority, as would be expected in a second round (segunda vuelta), was not needed to become Panama’s president. As for the other branches of government, legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly – which also went through its own election process in the same period – and the judiciary is independent.
Left or right, or neither?
Panama has a multi-party system. Most of the political parties participating in this year’s elections belong to the center of the political spectrum, including Mulino’s party, Realizando Metas (center-right). Extremes are not an issue in the country’s current political panorama. As for Mulino’s ideology, national and international media describe the president-elect as conservative and pro-business, placing him on the political right.
What did voters care about?
Corruption was a recurring theme in the political discourse and one of the main concerns of the electorate. Between October and November 2023, Panamanians took to the streets to protest a concession contract between the country’s government and the Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals. Corruption is an issue familiar to the new president, as Mulino entered the race days after his former running mate, Ricardo Martinelli, was forced to drop out shortly before the election took place due to a money laundering conviction. Mulino’s close relationship with Martinelli has been criticized by many voters, as it conflicts with his commitment to fighting corruption. Other public concerns included water shortages and crime. Although Panama is one of the three carbon-negative countries in the world–it has more CO2 removals than emission–its people are also facing the worldwide climate change crisis in their daily lives. Panama is facing a drought period from the end of 2023, decreasing the transit capacity of the Panama Canal, one of the country’s main economic sources, and a cornerstone of global maritime traffic. Crime was also a main concern of the public. Located between South America and Central America, Panama is vulnerable to organized crime: from small gangs to large drug trafficking networks. The growing homicide rate has become a major concern of its citizens, who want to feel safe while carrying out their daily activities.
What does this mean for Panama’s foreign policy?
Panama’s strategic geopolitical location and its contribution to global trade through the Panama Canal have established the country as a bridge between regions such as Europe and the rest of the Caribbean and Latin America. This is shown in its strong economic ties with leading economies in Europe through Bilateral Investment Treaties with Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Additionally, at the EU-CELAC Summit in July 2023, the EU and Panama presented the Global Gateway Investment Agenda. This collaboration aims to promote Panama’s energy transition and to address the effects of climate change. Nearly 6% of global maritime trade depends on the Panama Canal, so a commitment of the country’s new leader to the fight against climate change is crucial, not only for the citizens‘ well-being and the preservation of the country’s rainforest, but for global trade as well. Although most traffic happens along the route to the US, the trade route to Europe is one of the busiest trade routes of the canal, affecting trade relations with Europe profoundly. How Mulino deals with this issue is essential for the commercial relations between Panama and the rest of the world. But above all for trade between other countries, for example between the EU and the USA or China and the EU.
Another highly relevant issue in the country’s political discourse is migration – more specifically, immigration to the United States. One of the busiest migration routes runs through the country’s jungle, connecting South and Central America. This impenetrable jungle corridor between Colombia and Panama is called the Darien Gap, and in 2023 alone, an unprecedented number of 520,000 migrants crossed this deadly route, risking their lives for the possibility of reaching the US. Mulino begins his administration facing this humanitarian challenge to which he promises to take serious measures, his most popular demand being a wall to stop the flow of people. How Mulino handles this migration crisis could set a trend for the rest of the region.
Panama, a country located in the heart of the American continent, connecting the region to the rest of the world, and playing an essential role in global trade, is led by conservative José Raúl Mulino Quintero from now on. To sum up, his administration will be shaped by his approach to climate change, corruption, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis on one of the most popular and dangerous migration routes in the world.
Polis Blog serves as a platform at the disposal of ‘Polis180’s &‘OpenTTN‘s members. Published comments express solely the ‘authors’ opinions and shall not be confounded with the opinions of the editors or of Polis180.
Image via unsplash.com
Aitana Mollyk is currently studying Social Economics with a concentration in Sociology at the University of Hamburg. She will pursue a Master’s degree in Peace and Security Studies in the upcoming semester. Her main interests are Latin American affairs and global climate governance. She is a member of Polis180’s The America(n)s program.
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