Private is beautiful? Zu den Auseinandersetzungen um die Eigentumsrechte am mexikanischen Energiesektor

Abstract

Abstract

Private is beautiful? Some Remarks on the Conflicts over Property Rights in the Mexican Energy Sector.

The article aims at contributing to discussions about privatisation processes. It is argued from a perspective referring to Poulantzas that privatisation processes – contrary to the assumptions of property-rights-theory – should be considered as conflicts within society over the property rights for public goods and services. In order to analyse these conflicts and their outcome, it is important to recognize the efforts of different actor coalitions to influence institutional decision-making processes as well as the institutional configuration of the state apparatus and the ideological orientation of civil servants. The article focuses on the privatisation processes in the Mexican electricity and oil sector which have not yet been finished and therefore constitute a remarkable exception from the overall privatisation process that has taken place in Mexico from 1983 onwards. These exceptional cases are chosen in order to extend our understanding of the phenomenon of privatisation.