The elections are already over in the Western Basque Country (or Basque Autonomous Community) and with great regret we have been able to verify that the Basque nationalist political parties have once again pushed aside the national agenda (Basque language, self-determination, territoriality …) in their electoral campaigns. They had other priorities and ignored the request we made of them (see here: http://www.naziogintza.eus/en/editorial-elections-in-the-western-basque-country-requests-and-proposals-by-naziogintza/) in said electoral campaigns. They have used and debated the same issues that Spanish politicians debate when they campaign in Spain. Really sad.
The polls have not brought any surprises: the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) has won and EH BILDU was the second most voted force. Between them they have won 6 more seats and account for almost 70% of the seats in the new Parliament. The Spanish parties, on the other hand, will have the lowest representation they have ever had in the Parliament of the Western Basque Country.
Will the Basque patriotic parties take advantage of this broad parliamentary representation? They have a golden opportunity to take advantage of their hegemony to develop the Basque national agenda, but for this, the strategic alliance between Basque nationalists must be prioritized. That is what we at NAZIOGINTZA have always asked for: collaboration between the PNV and EH BILDU, think about the meeting points more than the differences, think more about our country than about the party itself, because that is the only way to face the Spanish State and to propose a democratic confrontation, to be able to take steps on the road to independence and national construction.
It will not be easy. In the positions taking place after the elections, the PNV already made it clear that it does not want to form a government with EH BILDU, and that it prefers the PSOE as a traveling companion. Thus, the next Basque government of Alava (without Treviño), Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia will be a government formed by the PNV and the unionists of the PSOE.
It is surprising that a party that considers itself Basque nationalist and that seeks total freedom for the Basque Country (the 7 Basque provinces) has so little political coherence. It is surprising that there is such a great gulf between its ideological principles and its political praxis. And to corroborate that, let’s see what the PNV Statutes approved in Iruñea (Pamplona) in 2016 state:
“General principles:
1.- Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea-Basque Nationalist Party receives its name from the motto in Basque JAUNGOIKOA ETA LEGE ZARRA, an expression that combines a transcendent conception of existence with the affirmation of the Basque Nation, whose political being must be expressed from the recovery of its national sovereignty.
2.- The Basque Nationalist Party recognizes Euzkadi as a Homeland and as a territory, on both sides of the Pyrenees, where the Basque People live.
3.- The Basque Nationalist Party considers Euskera as the Basque national language and demands that its normalization be a national responsibility.
First Section:
Article 4: The members of the Basque Nationalist Party, committed within the Organization, will contribute to the achievement of Basque national and social liberation.
Having read the above, we ask the following:
With the PSOE will we achieve wthe recovery of our national sovereignty?
Is it possible to normalize Basque having the PSOE as a partner in government?
Will the Basques on both sides of the Pyrenees be closer thanks to the PSOE?
Do PNV leaders really believe that with the PSOE unionists it is possible to achieve these public claims made by prominent party leaders?:
-This is how Iñigo Urkullu ended his speech before his supporters on election night (July 12),: Gora Euskadi askatuta! (Long live Free Euskadi!). Does Iñigo Urkullu (President of the Basque Government) believe that the leaders of the PSOE share that motto?
-Bakartxo Tejeria (President of the Basque Parliament) said this on August 3: “the new Basque Government must guarantee the political, economic, social, cultural and linguistic rights of Basque citizens.” Do you really think that it is possible to guarantee the last two with a government formed with the PSOE?
-Joseba Egíbar, on August 30, 2019 in Zarautz: “We must go from dreaming of a Basque State to claiming a Basque State” You have chosen bad traveling companions for this, Joseba… ..
-Andoni Ortuzar, president of the PNV, in the daily BERRIA (07-31-2020): “I believe that the path to national liberation can only be made with the nationalist left; not only with the nationalist left, but it has to be done with that world that believes in the Basque national identity. The identities are many, and that cannot be lost sight of, because a project has to be built for everyone, but the logical thing would be that if we Basque nationalists are in the majority, we will be able to agree ”. Does the PSOE believe in the Basque national identity, Andoni?
It is certainly difficult for us to understand political incoherence: to say one thing and do the opposite.
However, the leadership of the PNV is not the only one that hinders the union between Basque nationalists. Unfortunately, we have also heard from some militants of the abertzale left that it is better to form a “left government” with the Spanish unionists (PODEMOS and PSOE) rather than a government of Basque patriots. Given this, we also ask those militants of the nationalist left for coherence.
Consistency with these three principles that can be read on the EH BILDU website:
“About us?
1.- EH BILDU is a left-wing force for Basque sovereignty
2.-We aim to achieve an independent Basque Country based on social justice
3.- We are open to the participation of all people and political sectors that share these objectives ”
It seems to us very difficult to achieve an independent Basque Country while taking the PSOE and PODEMOS as political partners.
There are many de facto powers in the Basque Country and in the Spanish state who want to obstruct and prevent the political alliance between Basque nationalist parties, since they know that this is an indispensable condition to advance on the path towards our sovereignty. If this was possible in 1998, at the time of Lizarra-Garazi, why is it not possible now?
Is asking for consistency asking too much?
