Felipe Calderón on Neoliberalism

Felipe Calderón expressed that he is not a neoliberal, though he fundamentally supports the free market as a necessary condition for economic growth in Mexico. He argued that solely relying on the free market is insufficient, asserting that the state has a crucial role in creating equal conditions for everyone in society. His administration's focus was placed on attracting private investment to lower production costs and create jobs, which required establishing legal certainty and curbing crime, aligning with market-oriented principles while also attempting public policy interventions to address inequality.

His vision for Mexico's future, articulated in 2007, involved strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and economic competitiveness, contrasting this with what he termed a return to state-controlled systems and irresponsible economic policy seen in some other Latin American countries. He also emphasized reorienting foreign policy to reduce dependence on the United States, using Mexico's geographic position as an interface between North and South America to its advantage. His administration notably increased public spending for security as part of this economic strategy, a move criticized by opponents as an embrace of forceful imposition of policy.