The agents of the Socialist Movement, GKS and Housing Unions of Vitoria-Gasteiz, and the Luberri de Bilbao, who have been in the middle of the debate over the txosnas, have offered a joint press conference on Thursday morning in Vitoria-Gasteiz. They have responded to the statements of the Commission of Txosnas of Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Bilbao Comparsas with a substantial change of tone, showing a favourable attitude towards a consensual solution. “We’d like to do an exercise to start conversations and build trust.”
The GKS and the Vitoria-Gasteiz Housing Union and the members of Luberri de Bilbao have expressed their desire to bring together positions and try to resolve "from today" the conflicts arising from the txosnas of Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao. The manifesto signed by 150 cultural agents sought to respond first to the responses of the Commission of Txosnas of Vitoria-Gasteiz (GTB) and then of the Federation of Comparsas of Bilbao. After making a comment to each in relation to their readings, they have called for collaboration and dialogue, they have not talked about the word “veto” and they have finished reading saying “an opportunity we give to all”.
The Socialist Movement has pointed out that it “fully” meets the criteria for participation in popular festivities. After the issue jumped into public debate, GTB and BK defended the legitimacy of the decisions taken to exclude these groups and accused MS of not being able to collaborate with other popular movements in a good environment. They totally rejected the accusation: “GTB states that we are not respecting other actors and willing to reach agreements with them. In eleven towns and neighborhoods of Euskal Herria we share txosnaga spaces with many other agents, which shows that collaboration in minimums is possible. Why not the GKS and the Housing Union?” They say that they fulfil the bases to participate in the txosnas of Vitoria-Gasteiz and that they will also fulfill the points of collaboration.
Addressed to the Comparsas de Bilbao, they wanted to state that they do not question their decision-making capacity. However, they consider that the decision to exclude Luberri does not coincide with the participative and popular nature of the comparisons. “The Comparsas and GTB of Bilbao have had a long character for years and we want to be one more in the comparsas and in the txosnas. As in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in Bilbao we also fulfil the conditions for participation and believe that both our bases and daily life show that we deserve a place”.
They say that most people who know the subject are in favour of the “solution”. “The encystment makes no sense, neither the partisan interests and the closure to maintain the ban,” they said and called “honestly” the dialogue to the Comparsas de Bilbao and GTB. It is welcomed that the latter have expressed their intention to review the situation from October onwards and if there is a desire to initiate this process, they have put on the table the possibility of starting “from today”. “In the two cities, we believe that this year’s festivities are an appropriate context for starting to lay the foundations for collaboration and beginning in the previous months a path for dialogue and consensus.” Summer holidays are open doors.