The Ministry of the Interior announced last week that, within the fourth level of "anti-terrorist alert", "complementary" measures will be taken. The "Bureau for the Evaluation of the Terrorist Threat" decided to strengthen the fourth level of the alert system and to establish more "security measures" in this regard.

The Basque Government Security Advisor, Josu Erkoreka, immediately moved in this direction, and last week he explained that police intervention would increase in suspected mass events and locations. In particular, he warned that police control work would "intensify", referring to and arguing for the possible influence of the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict". Subsequently, the head of the Ertzaintza himself determined that control will be extended to infrastructures, diplomatic headquarters and places of worship.

And it also seems that it may not be police control that is strengthened: The Ertzaintza calls for concrete measures on the arms of the agents, on the pretext of the "jihadist alert". The trade unions Erne, Esan and Sipe, representing the majority of the police in the Ertzaintza, have submitted a letter criticizing the planning of the current situation and calling for concrete measures to enhance mainly the use of weapons.

Measures include, for example, the recovery of the "possibility of carrying the work gun also out of work". To this end, the Ertzaintza trade unions have called for a review of the regulations preventing arms from being brought home. On the other hand, the use of HK MP5 sub-rifles has been mentioned: "to deal with high-risk situations," says Erne, Esane and Sipe, are adequate weapons and call for training to be extended in order to use them. They want the use and supply of taser guns to be widespread.