On Monday, the Basque Public Administration Council was held and EITB's censure of removing the verses sung by Maddalen Arzallus in the Faktoria programme on the 32-year prison sentence at Ion Parot was discussed. The Director-General, Andoni Aldekoa, has acknowledged that it was he who ordered the withdrawal of the contents of the network, as reported by the Berria newspaper. But, according to Aldekoa, this is not censorship, as Arzallus had the opportunity to act “freely”. However, the works councils of EITB Media have concentrated on confirming media censorship.

He justifies the order to suppress the verses by saying Berria: “It opposes the principles and articles of the Law on the Recognition and Reparation of Victims of Terrorism and EITB’s commitment to become an agent that can contribute to the coexistence of the Basque Country.” In the words of his supporter, “a part of Basque society” would be against the dissemination of the video. As a means of public communication, his “work” is “to maintain respect for the realm of memory and coexistence”, according to the director general.

In the council announces that it will follow the same path in the future: “I would like EITB to remain committed to the diversity and diversity of opinions and points of view, but always within the ethical commitment of EITB and within the framework of coexistence that the Basques have given us through our laws.”

No budget approval

The EITB budgets for next year have been voted on in the Management Board, and it has not achieved the necessary support, the vote in favour of two-thirds of its representatives. EH Bildu, the ELA and PP trade union voted against and Elkarrekin Podemos abstained. However, the approval of the Basque Parliament will be sufficient for the 2023 budgets to move forward.

The EH Bildu coalition has clarified in a note the change of vote on budgets, as they have abstained in recent years, but since Andoni Aldekoa was appointed director they have voted against. Unai Urruzuno, representative of EH Bildu on the Management Board, criticised the use of the public environment in terms of interests: “Aldekoa reached the direction of EITB with a depoliticization. But he has done just the opposite. It has politicized it to advance and protect the interests of some, the interests of those who have placed it in that position.”