CALDERON, ON FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO EUROPE, STAYS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 000483

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MX
SUBJECT: CALDERON, ON FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO EUROPE, STAYS
ON MESSAGE

Classified By: AMBASSADOR ANTONIO O. GARZA JR. FOR REASONS 1.4 (B,D)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. This week, President Felipe Calderon
wrapped up a six day official visit to Europe, his first
since taking office. The visit took him to Berlin, Madrid
and London and the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland. Calderon's team successfully used the tour to
mount a major international public relations campaign,
emphasizing Mexico's status as an attractive destination for
investment. In public statements and private meetings across
Europe, Calderon emphasized his administration's commitment
to the rule of law, security, economic competitiveness,
expanded health care and environmental stewardship.
Calderon's political message was only distracted by a
political jab by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez in response to
Calderon's comments in Davos, which evolved into a minor
dispute through the press. On whole, however, media coverage
in both Europe and Mexico was positive. Calderon further
fashioned an image at home as a resolute leader and promoter
of Mexico's stature in the international arena. End summary.


2. (SBU) President Felipe Calderon embarked on his first
official state visit to Europe on January 25 with an initial
stop in Berlin, where he met Chancellor Angela Merkel,
followed by speaking engagements and meetings at the World
Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, a visit with Prime Minister
Tony Blair in London, and concluded on January 30 with a
visit with Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.


3. (SBU) At each stop, Calderon relentlessly made the sales
pitch that Mexico is an attractive destination for foreign
investment. Calderon cited the tenets of his
administration's platform as rule of law, security, economic
competitiveness, health care and the environment. He touted
his administration's crackdown on organized crime immediately
upon taking office - particularly the operations by military
and federal police in Michoacan, Tijuana and Guerrero - with
the assurance to investors that Mexico can guarantee security
and stability. He emphasized Mexico's macroeconomic
stability by pointing to its fiscal and economic policies,
often at the expense of some Latin American neighbors. While
avoiding an overly ideological tone, Calderon repeatedly
emphasized his administration's commitment to open markets,
democracy, and rule of law.


4. (C) The administration's media campaign to clearly
articulate Mexico's virtues as an investment destination
began even before the European visit, with interviews
published in such papers as The Financial Times (UK) and El
Pais (Spain). It continued with robust outreach at each stop
along the way. At Davos, WEF president Klaus Schwab
presented Calderon with a key opportunity to promote Mexico
as a regional leader by having him host the Regional Economic
Forum's session on Latin America. Calderon continually cited
Mexico's growth potential in talks with the chiefs of
companies like Pepsico, Bombardier, and Microsoft. He often
mentioned a Goldman Sachs report that said Mexico could be
the world's fifth largest economy in 2040. Chancellor Merkel
officially invited Mexico to join the G8 summit this year as
an observer. In London, Prime Minister Blair and Calderon
issued a joint statement supporting an "ambitious,
pro-development outcome" in the next round of World Trade
Organization talks. The British Political Counselor here
told poloff that Calderon and Blair displayed stong personal
chemistry in their meeting, with the British impressed by
Calderon's command of the issues and in particular his
interest in global warming. President Zapatero reaffirmed
Spain's close ties with Mexico as its largest European
investor, professing his desire for a more expansive
relationship. Maintaining "open economies" in Latin America
was a running theme throughout the talks across Europe.


5. (C) In selling Mexico as the region's leading destination
for foreign investment, Calderon sought to distinguish his
policies from those of Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina.
Calderon defined Mexico as a country embracing the future and
warned against archaic, statist policies that have failed in
the past. Calderon's comments provoked a sharp, and
long-winded, rebuke from Venezuela's Hugo Chavez that put in
the public spotlight the ideological differences between the
two presidents. In a press conference following their
meeting, Blair came to the aid of Calderon by emphasizing
that the European Union can more easily build a relationship
based on "common values and on strong open economies."
Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, a member of the opposition
party PRD, also defended Calderon against Chavez's remarks,
disapproving of a foreign president "labeling Mexican
rulers." Ebrard did, however, suggest that Calderon exercise

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more caution in his warnings against nationalizing
industries. Others in the opposition PRD and PRI were more
critical of Calderon. The Director General for Human Rights
at the Secretariat for Foreign Relations noted to the
Political Counselor some concern about the small but regular
protests, either over human rights or the disputed 2006
election, that punctuated Calderon's trip through Europe.


6. (SBU) The Mexican media covered the European trip in
detail and provided generally positive reporting among most
outlets. Calderon was often cast as a strong leader
promoting Mexico's stature abroad. Inevitably, more
attention was granted to his qualifying statements on
policies, particularly that markets cannot solve all problems
in Latin America and his environmental concerns like climate
security. Mexican media also covered issues that had bearing
on domestic political issues; Calderon, for instance,
distanced himself from the president of his own party who had
criticized Zapatero's handling of terrorism, namely the
Basque separatist group ETA.


7. (SBU) Calderon also painted Mexico in broad and colorful
strokes by citing its advances in the arts and sciences,
citing Nobel Prize-winning chemist Mario Molina as an example
of its scientific prowess and reflecting on the high profile
of Mexican filmmakers in the run-up to the Oscars this year.
Calderon regularly cited the filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez
Inarritu as another face of Mexico.


8. (SBU) COMMENT. In terms of positive optics, Calderon's
first European excursion was a clear success. He was well
received by his hosts in Germany, Spain and the UK, played a
high profile role in Davos, and earned widespread and
generally positive media attention. He also succeeded in
offering the Mexican model as a clear alternative to the
leftward turn taken by many Latin American governments
recently. Upon returning to Mexico, Calderon will face the
full array of security and economic challenges that he must
reconcile with the vision of Mexico he so ably projected
while abroad. End comment.


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