HE ONLY took office on December 1st, but Mexico’s new president is setting a furious pace. Having laid out sweeping changes to education and set up a new anti-corruption commission, Enrique Peña Nieto went on to unveil potentially far-reaching reforms of public security. He has thus taken aim at two of the country’s most notorious de facto powers: organised crime, and the mighty teachers’ union.

His predecessor, Felipe Calderón, began by declaring war on drug mafias, calling out the army to restore order. The murder rate doubled in five years, though the gangs were weakened. Mr Peña, who has promised to halve the murder rate by 2018, is taking a different approach.

via Mexico’s new government: Coming out swinging | The Economist.