Breathe
By Nelly Segura
In Max Weber's classic study, The Politician and the Scientist, two paths are drawn: that of the search for truth and that of power. Claudia Sheinbaum's career breaks with this dichotomy, intertwining science and politics in a trajectory that challenges traditional notions of leadership. As Mexico's first female president, Sheinbaum represents a unique convergence of academic rigor and will to power, a fusion of scientific objectivity with political urgency.
In a very rare case, Sheinbaum's story begins in the laboratories and, at the same time, in the social movements born in the classrooms of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. A physicist and environmentalist by training, her academic life seemed, at first, far from the political arena. Her commitment to rigorous analysis, problem solving and the tireless search for answers projected her as a scientist dedicated to the deep understanding of natural and urban phenomena. She seemed distant from the tactics and compromises of power. However, power found her.
As a reporter, I always watched her. Her chain with the infinity symbol, her Sunday sneakers, her voice, the transition of her hairstyle, how kind she was always with her team and how tough she could be with just one look. I was very close to her from the beginning of her campaign for head of government, once she took office and already as head of government.
Sheinbaum always exhibited a scientific discipline: punctual, analytical and very serious, but also with the rigidity that characterizes certain politicians in search of control. I remember when she was especially tough and almost dismissive before the press, a trait that perhaps fit the Weberian definition of a politician who knows that the responsibility of governing implies unpopular decisions. This temper was evident in her handling of crises, such as the tragedy of Metro Line 12, where the harshness of her responses contradicted the sympathy she used to project at other times (and no wonder).
On the other hand, sobriety and good taste have always been Sheinbaum's characteristics, evident in the small details of her administration. I remember her first Christmas as head of government, when, instead of opting for the paraphernalia and horror represented by the installation of an ice rink in the Zócalo, she decided to place 12 thousand poinsettia flowers, transforming the most important square in the country into a garden. That decision, beyond aesthetics, had a deep pre-Hispanic symbolism that underlined his vision of public space as a place of identity and respect for the cultural roots of the nation.
Sheinbaum is not only capable of demonstrating that "toughness", but she also has a lighter side, one that humanizes her. During her tenure as head of government, in moments of lesser tension, she could be seen laughing, showing a good humor that surprised those of us who knew her only for her serious and technical figure.
At the end of one year, Sheinbaum surprised me: she told me that she was fascinated by sordid novels, especially those that portray urban complexities. I thought that her tastes would be more attached to scientific journals. Perhaps, for her, governing Mexico City was like being the protagonist of one of those scandalous novels. Perhaps these readings, which are a mirror of the capital and its multiple realities, feed her vision of politics: as an imperfect, contradictory space, full of shadows, but also of opportunities for transformation.
Claudia Sheinbaum's trajectory is also a continuation of Andrés Manuel López Obrador's political legacy. Both share a vision of a country that advocates for the most disadvantaged, a project that places social justice at its core. However, while AMLO is pure combative rhetoric, Sheinbaum seems to apply scientific precision to politics, calculating every decision with the rigor of a controlled experiment. As we observe her passage through the presidency, we will see if this hybrid methodology between science and politics, between truth and power, allows her to consolidate her place in Mexican history.
What is certain is that her presidency, under the influence of her predecessor and political mentor, redefines the Mexican presidential tradition. With one foot in López Obrador's legacy and the other in her own convictions as an academic and civil servant, Claudia Sheinbaum will be a reference both in the field of politics and in the analysis of leadership from a Weberian perspective.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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