In recent times, the social, trade union and political agents working on different social issues in Donostia are increasingly concerned about the city model imposed by the PNV. In this concern we must put in place the joint mobilisation that we are going to carry out on 18 June. In fact, since it was the European Capital of Culture in San Sebastian to the present, the economic, cultural, ecological, linguistic and political dynamics that worsen the living conditions of citizens, such as gentrification, turistification, real estate speculation, erdality, restriction of democratic freedoms…
When calling for mobilization, special mention has been made of the emergency situation of housing, a basic social right in San Sebastian, that of housing, which is increasingly violated. Although our city is historically one of the most expensive cities in the state, in the last two mandates directed by Eneko Goia, the situation has worsened. The price of the house, both for sale and for rent, has skyrocketed until it reaches evict many of the Donostiarras of the house and of San Sebastián.
All this is insufficient and in recent years there have been no obstacles to vulture funds and tourism multinationals to speculate on housing. The impact of this situation is also spreading to nearby municipalities such as Astigarraga, Hernani, Usurbil… Young people, precarious workers, migrants, do not have access to housing in Donostia. Elites, on the contrary, have to reduce historical heritage, as in the Fine Arts building. The fundamental right of everyone to live everywhere is only the richest in San Sebastian.
This loss of fundamental rights has much to do with the model of mass tourism led by the PNV. Instead of being a means of curbing the road that is endangering the future of San Sebastian, the City Hall has become, with Eneko Goia, an instrument in favor of the especuladores.Poco gradually, the living conditions of most of those of us who live in San Sebastian are deteriorating and dismantling the entire original social network of the neighborhoods. The rest of the neighborhoods follow the line of the Old Part; Gros, Antigua, Igeldo…
The former trade in San Sebastian collapses. San Sebastian is destroying small trade and becoming aware of the major international trade brands. There is nothing else to do with the presence of the Inditex group in the centre of San Sebastian. San Sebastián is more and more like any European capital, let us not say when we have a metro. Donostia-San Sebastian, elitist, Castilian speaking, racist, contaminant, is more similar to the old “Pearl of the Cantabrian”.
Fortunately, in the face of this harsh reality, the concern of the Donostians is growing stronger and the desire to protest socially for all this. But those who support this capitalist model of San Sebastian are not willing to see in our city to reinforce social denouncement and critical thinking. They've opened a thousand fronts with the thousand faces of the executioner.
That is where the measures taken by Eneko Goia to turn the City Hall of San Sebastian into a closed City Hall, closing the channels of participation, limiting the possibility of presenting motions, expanding the means of control of the plenary sessions... On the other hand, the routes worked to prohibit social protest and political propaganda on the street of San Sebastian, such as the Municipal Ordinance of Civism and the Mordaza Law. In recent years, hundreds of citizens and social agents have been punished with the progressive reduction of their social, civil and political rights, such as the Anti-Incinerator Movement, the Feminist Movement, the Basque Political Prisoners Movement, AZGA, Ernai, GKS, Itaia, IA, Ekintza, AXIELA, LAB, ON
In this sense, from the platform PIZTU Donostia we want to explain clearly that the Donostia city model that is being processed with the help of the PNV and the two sides of the same Governance currency that Eneko Goia directs in the City Hall of San Sebastian, are the two components of the unique problem.
All the San Sebastian problems listed originate in a powerful alliance. Made up of local and external investors, speculators and major political decision-makers and the media at their disposal, it is a real spider web. All of them derive enormous economic benefit by giving that direction to San Sebastian and governing in this way, to the detriment of the dignity of the life of the majority of the Donostiarras. The strategic project of the city, which controls the public agenda and Governance, to the detriment of most Donostiarras, is a powerful network of few.
It is clear that after the Covid19 pandemic, the elites had long prepared measures and plans to make the “new normalcy” profitable against the old one. What is at risk is the possibility of building San Sebastian among the citizens we were talking about at the time. What is being mortgaged is the future of citizenship, solidarity, Basque, feminist and democratic. That is why, from the PIZTU Donostia platform in defence of our social, civil and political rights, we call on all Donostians to turn to the mobilisation on 18 June. San Sebastián, which we are not going to fight, is the only one we are going to lose. To Mozal City NO! And NOT the Closed City Hall.