- Although the budget of the City of Amurrio is increasing by EUR 5 million, there has been a decrease of 8% in the amount allocated to the Basque area, EUR 33,945.52 less than last year.
The specific weight of the City’s total budget for the Basque area has decreased significantly with the addition of Txerra Molinuevo (PNV) to the makila of command, from 2.56% in 2021 to 1.51% in 2024.
In addition to the percentages, in 2024 the amount allocated to the Basque area is 33,945.52€ lower than last year (decrease of 8%), although the general budget is 5 million euros higher.
But what is the money spent on the budget of the Basque Country? Is that enough?
In these 2024 year budgets, 86,266 euros will be invested in human resources, 20% of the budget of the area. The second significant item is the economic item of the children's colonies "Holidays in Basque", which amounts to EUR 105,744.18, which absorbs 24.70% of the sector (a quarter of the total budget).
Defining what public resources should be allocated for the revitalization of the Basque country is an old axis of conflicts between public institutions and Basque cultural activity. Does the Basque Country have to pay for the children's colonies because they develop in Basque?
Does Euskara also have to pay for cultural events in Basque and Cultural Affairs that are in Spanish? Should summer camps not be paid (as in most municipalities in the area) for the budgets of youth, culture, etc. ?
Therefore, almost half of the total budget of the sector is spent on these two lines and the other half is spent on direct projects to revitalize the Basque country.
Government criteria
The Basque Government advises that at least 2% of the budget be spent on revitalizing the Basque country. The amount of the City of Amurrio is below, especially if you look at what exactly the money is spent on.
The Basque Government advises that at least 2% of the budget be spent on revitalizing the Basque Country, without taking into account staff costs. By the way, this specific advice states that the Basque area would need a dedication of 4 workers (two Basque technicians, a translator and a trainer) in a municipality such as Amurrio, which does not reach 1.5 workers.
This means that, with the abolition of staff costs, the City of Amurrio allocates only 1.20% of its total budget to the revitalization of the language (€341,930).
If, as would be appropriate, the colonies were managed by another area, the amount earmarked for concrete projects to revitalize the Basque Country would amount to 236,186 euros: 0.82% of the total municipal budget. Far from the Government ' s recommendation.
Support for the media
The City of Amurrio awarded Aiaraldea Komunikabideak the grant that has now been withdrawn, amounting to 0.021% of the general budget of the whole institution and 1.40% of the budget of the Basque area.
Despite the help to the media, it is impossible to comply with the Euskera Plans without resources, it is impossible to advance the normalization of the Basque Country, it is impossible to face the challenges we have at hand. Does the Municipal Government of Amurrio not want to take steps forward in the recovery of the Basque Country?
Instead of reducing public resources, they should be extended and raised to the extent that experts state whether a real boost is to be given to the revitalization of the Basque country.