Mexico City – The Chamber of Deputies began discussions this
week on the 2026 Federal Expenditure Budget (PEF), which contemplates a
historic public expenditure exceeding 10.193 trillion pesos, an unprecedented
figure in national finances. After intense debate, the plenary approved the
bill in general with 358 votes in favor and 133 against, marking the first step
in a deliberation that will define the country's economic and social course for
the coming year.
During the session, legislators from all political parties
took to the podium to state their positions on the distribution of spending
proposed by the federal government. While the ruling majority defended the
budget as an instrument geared towards social development, infrastructure
investment and the consolidation of priority programs, the opposition
criticized what it considered a centralized spending policy, insufficient in
terms of security and with limited incentives for economic reactivation.
The 2026 Federal Expenditure Budget (PEF) allocates
significant resources to areas such as health, education, social welfare, and
security, in addition to maintaining funding for strategic energy and
infrastructure projects. However, opposition parties warned that the budget
reflects a concentration of spending in the federal executive branch, to the
detriment of states and municipalities, which could affect the implementation
of local programs.
According to the schedule agreed upon by the Political
Coordination Board, the debate will continue for at least three days, with the
presentation of hundreds of reservations and proposed modifications by the
various political blocs.
The atmosphere in the legislative chamber remains tense,
with strong disagreements over budget priorities and the allocation of
resources. Some legislators warned that the discussion could extend into the
late hours of the night or even beyond the scheduled deadline, as has occurred
in previous years.
Economic analysts point out that the 2026 Budget will be key
in defining the country's economic transition strategy, in a context of global
slowdown and a reconfiguration of public policies toward the end of the
presidential term.
The general approval of the Federal Expenditure Budget (PEF)
represents a decisive step, but the detailed discussion remains, in which an
intense debate is expected regarding the amounts allocated to social programs,
federal funds, and regional investment projects./E. ESGLOTAC