The elections to the Basque Parliament in Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, to be held on 12 July, will be unprecedented. And in view of this important appointment with the ballot box, from this rostrum we want to make the demands we regard as essential to the Basque nationalist parties.
The first, and most important, to take into account the national agenda (Basque, self-determination, territoriality, national sports selections, demography, …) in this electoral campaign. We do not at all disregard the importance of other social issues (much less after the serious coronavirus crisis), but we cannot swallow the hook of the Spanish parties (“we will deal with the issues that really concern the citizens, and not with self-determination…”) and entrench Basque national issues; if the colonized peoples who are not sovereign we would follow the suicidal strategy, we would put ourselves at risk. In the CAV election campaign, the Spanish parties will use the same political slogans that are repeated in Albacete or Burgos; will the Basque parties here do the same?
These issues will be specified in sections:
"In the CAV election campaign, the Spanish parties will use the same political refrains that are repeated in Albacete or Burgos; will the Basque parties here do the same?"
Euskera: the time has come to make a qualitative leap in the Basque Country. The 1982 Basque Law is now obsolete: Basque society has changed a lot and the socio-linguistic situation is not what it was almost 40 years ago. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new law that gives absolute priority to Euskera, among others, a new law that allows working in Euskera in education and public administration. On the one hand, a new law is needed that recognizes the social use of Euskera as a strategic objective and, on the other, that regulates that the two official languages of the CAV should be universally known (all members). And until the new law becomes effective, use Euskera at all times and in all places. For example: What law prohibits Basque politicians from using Basque systematically and as the main language in the Basque Parliament at this time or in recent years?
As far as ETB is concerned, it is essential to make a decisive commitment to the ETB1 chain, providing more resources and offering more attractive programming that will make it possible to leave the current low audience and make available to the Euskaldunes a tool worthy of audio-visual. And that of the four ETB chains, at least three are in Euskera and the fourth in Castilian speakers are offered contents of Basque culture systematically.
Self-determination: The Basque Parliament of Vitoria-Gasteiz twice proclaimed (in 1990 and 2014) the right of self-determination of Euskal Herria by an absolute majority, but to this day no one has proposed anything serious to go beyond that symbolic claim, that is, to carry out that purpose. In our opinion, it is up to the Basque parties to speak in an electoral campaign of self-determination and independence, and not just in the Aberri Eguna. Examples from Quebec and Scotland: The Quebequés Party committed itself in the 1994 elections to holding a referendum on self-determination in Quebec and, after winning the elections, organized a referendum. The SNP did the same in Scotland in 2011: If he came to the Scottish Government, he would organise a referendum on self-determination. The SNP achieved an absolute majority with this political programme and a referendum on self-determination was held in Scotland in 2014.
Will any of our parties propose that if it achieves an absolute majority in the elections on 12 July it will take steps to exercise the right of self-determination? Will anyone propose to implement this right which the Basque Parliament itself twice demanded by an absolute majority the right to self-determination? The most prudent will reply that the Spanish State does not recognise the right to self-determination, but make it possible in Articles 10 and 96 of its Constitution (see URL0).
"Will anyone propose to implement the right that the Basque Parliament itself twice demanded by an absolute majority the right to self-determination?"
On the other hand, self-determination, as a universal right referred to by the UN in various treaties, should not be authorized by anyone, because it is linked to the dignity of peoples and men and is above all the legal instruments of states. Well, in this electoral context, we would like to remind the Basque parties that, despite the fact that the right of self-determination was not recognized by the Canadian Constitution, Quebec did so on two occasions, such as Catalonia on 1 October 2017.
National sports teams: it is time for the official recognition of our sports teams to be carried out by the Basque Government, taking practical steps and guaranteeing their full support to the teams and federations that want to compete internationally with the brand of Euskal Herria. It is clear that today sports selections play a fundamental role in the visibility of nations, and our selections can greatly play that role of ambassadors of the Basque Country.
Territorial: The Government of Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, in the absence of County Treviño, has an obligation to develop priority relations with the Government of Navarra and with the Single Community of Iparralde, formed by Lapurdi, Baja Navarra and Zuberoa, in order to create joint entities. And in the case of Treviño and Turtzioz, because we often forget that within the CAPV we also have a problem of vulnerable territoriality. It should not be forgotten that the majority of the citizens of these two enclaves want to opt to be part of the Basque Country through the referendum.
"We, too, are certainly in favour of a coalition or a rapprochement that citizens have prioritized in the surveys: By the coalition or Abertzale approach between PNV and EH-Bildu"
Demography: focusing on demography to overcome low birth rates, to support young couples and to have sons and daughters through social policies (social housing, facilities to reconcile family and professional life, decent wages…). The demographic challenge is enormous, and we believe that so far the Basque nationalist parties have not tackled this issue seriously.
The Basque parties and the president himself should also begin to take into account the Basques of the diaspora who have kept our language and culture abroad or those who have plunged into it from nowhere, opening roads to Euskal Herria.
This first demand related to the development of the Basque Nation leads us to a second demand: all the forecasts indicate that no political party will obtain an absolute majority after the elections and the alliances and pacts will therefore be inevitable. Well, in this situation, we are also, of course, in favour of the coalition or the approach that the citizens have often prioritised in the surveys: By the coalition or the Abertzale approach between the PNV and EH-Bildu. Without neglecting the legitimate electoral competition in the political game, we consider it important that the relationship between the two Basque forces not deteriorate in order to deal with unionist or statalist parties (Spanish nationalists).
We therefore call on these two political forces to make public their views on the demands we have put forward in this paper, because we are convinced that if we do not comply with them, many Abertzales and Independentists will feel orphans. The formulas of the last forty years are exhausted and lead to despair. We need hopeful political proposals, we call for a qualitative leap forward. The time has come to make concrete commitments with courage and consistency in order to fill the words under the name of the Basque Nation with substance.
*Jose Inazio Lopez de Luzuriaga, Edurne Alegria, Josu Albero, Andoni Sarriegi, Mikel Urkola
(for the National Group)