Although it has not had a great deal of media impact, it is continuing to process a law that will allow the creation of the Euneiz (European University of Gasteiz). The Euneiz Project is promoted by the private entity Eusteiz 2018 S.A., promoted by the Catalan affiliated educational centers ENTI and EUSES and the sports anonymous companies Baskonia and Deportivo Alavés. This project is part of a larger project, which was presented in July under the solemn name of Innovaraba. The Basque Government has presented this project under the title of Araba Sport Capital, for the Next Generation EU funds, for an amount of EUR 64 million (12.5 for Euneiz). Both the City of Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Provincial Council of Álava also announced the provision of a total of 480,000 euros to Euneiz. The main signs of propaganda for this diversion of public money would be, as it could not otherwise be, the creation of jobs (433 jobs without specifying how and where they will be created) and the annual increase of EUR 12 million to CAPV’s GDP. He dares to say it, but without making known what it is based on…

Euneiz would offer five degrees, a double degree and two master's degrees both in sports and health sciences and in new technologies (interactive digital content, video games…). Two of them are already offered at the UPV/EHU (one of them also at the Private University of Deusto) and three other similar studies are located in non-university schools. Likewise, the UPV/EHU offers two master's degrees with the contents of the two master's degrees taught by Euneiz. Therefore, the demand of the Basque society does not justify the supply of these new studies and would even violate the need for harmonization of qualifications contained in Decree 274/2017.

Euneiz has come to compete with the public university. On the one hand, to obtain students, eliminating potential students from the UPV/EHU. On the other hand, to obtain public funds. While the funding that the UPV/EHU receives each year from the CAPV budgets is not sufficient to ensure quality university education and decent working conditions for all staff, the Euneiz Project is already involved in the distribution of public funds and will be further incorporated in the future. Another private agent is made with everybody's money. The President of Euneiz said quite literally that they will not ask for public subsidies for the development of the project… Why ask the Basque Government and other institutions to guarantee it the public funds?

We cannot fail to denounce the elitist character of this project, citing students and money. Specifically, in the same hearing it was assumed that the average enrolment of the degrees will be 8,000 euros per academic year. Although it was announced that a scholarship policy will be materialized later with the aim of maintaining the image, it is clear that the recipients of this university will be families with large economic resources, largely with the look abroad. Despite being here and receiving public money, most of the young people here will not have the opportunity to study in Euneiz.

Other parties also lead us to stand against this project. On the one hand, Euneiz’s creation bill does not specify the treatment to be given to the Basque Country, nor its presence in studies.

On the other hand, it has not been determined what the working conditions of the staff, the regime of dedication, the selection procedures… As usual in private universities, it can be predicted that the part-time work and the temporality will be very high. It is also indicative that the list of teachers and researchers is not yet complete.

Other deficiencies of the project include the concretization of research lines, the assurance of quality indicators, the concretization of government and representation bodies or the certification of adequate facilities.

For all these reasons, and given the lukewarm attitude of the UPV/EHU government team towards Euneiz, both the unions that signed this article and the youth and student organizations reiterate our position against the Euneiz Programme.

The Basque society needs a high-quality public university, capable of developing and adapting to the new needs, which must be regulated and channelled from our own legal framework, apart from the commodification of education. A Basque Public University, in which the working conditions are dignified and high-level knowledge and knowledge is provided to citizens, regardless of their origin and social and economic level.

However, instead of strengthening the public university, we see once again how an elitist intention to do business receives the support of public institutions and some political parties. Seeing the clear support of the PNV and the PP and the alignment of the PSE with the PNV, we were convinced that the final steps to be taken in Parliament would be simple. On the contrary, the Royal Decree for the creation of universities, which entered into force on 18 August, can bring the Euneiz project upside down. Because it is clear that Euneiz does not meet the requirements of the new decree to be accepted as a university.

However, in addition to looking at Parliament, it is time to clarify and publicly present the opinion of each of the socio-political actors on this issue, which as a society affects us all. The signatories of this paper will work on this during the coming months. It is time to join forces in favour of paralysing the Euneiz project.

*Sign the following article:

Iñaki Etaio (LAB), Begoña Urbieta (STEILAS), Jorge Revuelta (CCOO),

Rafael Sagastume (ELA), Jon González (CGT/LKN), Jabier Saenz (ESK),

Asier Núñez (UPV/EHU Student Council), Xabi Urtasun (Ernai)