- The Euskal Herria Bizirik network has held a concentration at the gates of the Basque Parliament, while the Energy Transition and Climate Change Act was approved inside. In the words of this network, "it was approved with the favourable votes of EAJ-PNV, PSE and EH Bildu, showing that these three political parties have prioritized economic growth in the face of the climate emergency".
Euskal Herria Bizirik has called "fartsa" the law that the Basque Parliament has just approved, claiming: "This law aims to create the conditions under which the decarbonisation process can theoretically be carried out, at least by political parties. But if one reads carefully, it is clear what this law hides: to give as massive an expansion of the renewable energy industry as possible to give a strong boost to economic growth."
Socialization of energy
Euskal Herria Bizirik responds to the main arguments put forward by the political parties to approve this law as follows: "Aware of the social disagreement in carrying out this expansion of renewables, they constantly talk about the socialization of energy through the propaganda of its "clean" and "cheap" energy. This hypothetical 20% for citizens, taxes on renewable installations and the price of megabatio are the basis of this propaganda. But we have to be clear that as a law of economic growth, big business will be the main beneficiaries of this law. The impact of the massive expansion of renewables will be the only one that will reach citizens."
Case Navarra
The Basque network Herria Bizirik has stressed that this law is already in place in other European territories. The example of Navarra is: "It is practically the same law that has just been passed in the CAPV. The data that the Subai Fundazioa Foundation has made public are clear in recent years
consumption and energy emissions have increased in Nafarroa Garaia, although the expansion of renewables has been very important, it has not led to decarbonisation of the territory, the industrial expansion of anti-renewables has led to an increase in emissions".
Priority for economic growth
For Euskal Herria Bizirik "it is clear what is the commitment of institutional politicians to boost economic growth. They have ignored such important issues as the current climate emergency, the loss of biodiversity, the acidification of the seas, the pollution of the land, etc., questioning the natural balance we have known so far. Euskal Herria’s shortcomings on the road to food sovereignty are becoming increasingly apparent, but instead of trying to solve these problems, the main Basque political parties have prioritised active participation in the economic growth that Europe needs.”
They have finished their appearance before Parliament calling for the defence of the land.