Twenty-six years after becoming the first opposition presidential candidate to sweep the once-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) out of office, Vicente Fox is joining forces with the PRI “to discuss the situation in the country and the need to build a strong opposition.”
The 84-year-old former President Fox met with PRI leader Alejandro “Alito” Moreno Cárdenas on Friday at the headquarters of the party’s National Executive Committee “to assess the country’s political situation, the rising democratic challenges and the need to strengthen institutional checks and balances,” according to a statement.
Nuestro Presidente Nacional, @alitomorenoc, recibió en la sede del PRI al expresidente de México, @VicenteFoxQue, y a integrantes de Alma de México.
En el PRI tenemos claro que la defensa de la democracia, las libertades y nuestras instituciones exige diálogo, apertura y la suma… pic.twitter.com/lOG1uRVKFG
— PRI (@PRI_Nacional) September 4, 2026
The former president explained the unlikely union with his former adversaries (he once referred to the PRI — a constant thorn in his side during his 2000-2006 term — as “black vipers, vermin and tadpoles”), saying in a post on social media that it was time to put aside differences and “strive for a free, democratic Mexico with a future!”
For his part, PRI leader Moreno praised Fox’s “democratic trajectory” and emphasized that the current political context demands “a firm opposition capable of coordinating efforts with citizens and civil society.”
Fox was accompanied by members of Alma de México, a civic organization he founded earlier this year that is described as “an organized gathering space and action network to transform public concern into constructive civic engagement in order to strengthen democracy.”
The Morena party issued a statement in response to news of the Sept. 4 meeting, saying that Mexico was witnessing “the reorganization of the power elite.”
“They change the names, they invent new organizations, but behind the facade, it’s the same old faces,” the statement said. “They don’t represent an alternative: it’s the same old regime looking to put on a new disguise.”
Morena warned that the goal of the “new” project was the same as always: “to recover lost privileges, return power to the elites and govern for the benefit of a select few.”
After ruling Mexico for 71 years, the PRI has largely fallen out of favor and currently ranks behind Morena and the National Action Party (PAN) with regard to legislative seats. It holds the governorship in only two of Mexico’s 32 states — the same amount as the Citizens Movement party, which has less than half the number of registered members.
Fox — who has reconciled with PAN leadership after supporting the PRI candidate in the 2012 presidential election and splitting from the party in 2013 — said he will continue to convene various political and social actors through Alma de México to promote citizen participation and build an alternative for the country.
Fox and Moreno called for a united effort and commitment among citizens, organizations and democratic political forces as the PRI works to rebuild an opposition bloc ahead of the 2027 midterm elections.
With reports from Aristegui Noticias, Animal Político, El Financiero and La Jornada
