We are on the threshold of the electoral campaign... or, rather, we are engaged in a permanent election campaign. We have started to know the lists of candidates for municipal and foral elections that are to be tabled in May and the proposals that are going to affect our welfare, although it seems that the campaigns do not affect voting intentions too much or, at least, almost nobody believes them.

They will talk about nearby policies and therefore, precisely, they are presenting to us the programs and initiatives they plan to develop in the coming years… Among them, I would like the Basque Country to have a fundamental role, as it directly or indirectly affects all policies and programs. I believe, however, that the situation will be different.

In some cases candidates are known, in others parties and coalitions have selected people who have not so far exercised these functions. Everyone has taken their criteria into account. What characteristics should candidates bring together? What characteristics do we consider essential? Vision of the future, optimism, initiative, know how to generate trust, authenticity, empathy, express commitment, transparency, creativity, management capacity, focus on people, encourage participation… Should they have any special training or learning? Which language should they master? What do the voters value?

In our case, Euskera is also essential when it comes to making a close policy. In my opinion, there is a great weakness in the candidates who do not master the language and also in those who do not intend (have) to resolve that weakness.

This impacts daily practice. The influence of politicians on the prestige of the language, the public dimension of its activity and the daily presence in the media make its linguistic use very important for the social dissemination that the Basque language is also “normal language”. And to speak in public in Basque, of course, you have to know.

In addition, politicians fully condition the linguistic use of administrations, the working language and the language of service. Staff in the service of public administrations (only in some administrations in the Basque Country and with many limitations) have established language profiles. But the leaders, the political positions, of these public administrations are outside this system of linguistic profiles and, in most cases, this situation leads them to function fully in Spanish. This means that the external projection of this Administration is also in Spanish, since it is political positions that will usually act in the media, those that will represent other institutions and companies and those that will appear on behalf of the organisation. The mere knowledge of the Basque country does not, of course, imply use, but it is an indispensable condition.

In Euskal Herria it is possible to have mayors, councillors, deputies, presidents, counselors or political positions and not to have the capacity or obligation to express oneself in Euskera. It is up to us to assess this variable so that it is among the priorities of the political parties.

Rober Gutiérrez Director of the Bai Euskarari Association