Uruguay: Recent Changes in a Traditional Presidency

• In Event: Presidential Centers in Latin America. Institutional Organization and Leadership Styles in the Summit of the Executive Power. The cases of Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru and Uruguay

Abstract

In Latin America's new democratic stage, the presidential centers of several countries undertake institutional developments, which bring on innovations from the traditional Offices of the Presidency and the generation of "desarrollistas" agencies created in the 1960's and 70's.

In Uruguay, this trend is taking on gradually. Since 1985, the presidency has diversified relatively little. The government has kept a "ministerial" model - with delegative or intervencionist presidents - and worked within the traditional triad of the Presidency, the Secretary of the Presidency and the Ministers, with variable influence of the Ministry of Economy and the Chairman of the Planning Office.

Nevertheless, the debut of the left in government brought in political and organizational innovations in order to increase the president´s power resources and promote new reform agenda. This paper analyzes the main changes which have taken place in the Uruguayan presidential center, exploring the differences between the left's first Presidency (Vázquez: 2005-2010) and the second (Mujica: 2010-2015), including a glance on the second Vázquez Presidency (2015-2020). To explain these differences it focuses mainly on a) the type of presidential leadership and b) the relations between the president and the governing party. These variables affect the functioning of the Council of Ministers (hierarchical and cooperative model versus a competitive model). They have also brought changes in the organization and the importance of the Office of the Presidency and in the balance of powers between the Minister of Economy and the Planning Office.

Author

• Jorge L Lanzaro, Universidad de la República