- In April, the Corporation unanimously joined Mañeru's neighbors' desire to move from the non-vascophony to the mixed area. Whether or not to accept the request will be voted on this month by the Parliament of Navarre, the votes of the PSN being decisive.
Mañeru wants to deal with the zoning created by the Basque Law in Navarre and move from the non-Basque to the mixed area. The parliamentarian of Geroa Bai, Jabi Arakama Geroa, explained in Euskalerria Irratia that, in addition to requesting change, the corporation wanted to claim that the Basque language is their own: historical data indicate this, and current ones. For example, 75% of the children of the town study in model D, in Puente la Reina.
To call for change, the plenary talks about rights, arguing that they cannot have less rights than neighbouring peoples. In 2017, more than 40 municipalities in the area jumped from non-vascophony to mixed. Until then, Estella and Puente la Reina were the exception in the area. Also in Mañeru, in 2017 the citizens voted and made their will clear: more than half of the local registered voters voted in favor of the transition to the mixed area, but the municipal delegation of then did not allow it.
Currently, according to the survey conducted by Euskarabidea, two-thirds of the population is in favor of going to mixed area in Mañeru and will try to take the step. Arakama stressed in Euskalerria Irratia that the language of citizens is a way to better guarantee linguistic rights.
Available to the Parliament of Navarra
Changes to the Basque Law require the support of 26 of the 50 parliamentarians, so during these months Geroa Bai, EH Bildu, Ahal Dugu and Left Ezkerra have tried to get the PSN signed. Because you will need the vote in favour of PSN or Navarra Suma to get the proposals through. At the PSN, after months, “they did not tell us yes or no, they were talking, they had doubts…”, Arakama said, and at the end they have submitted their request in parliament without the signing of the PSN: “It is clear to us that they will not sign, we will see what they will do in the vote.”
As explained by the parliamentarian on the radio, during January or early February they expect the vote to take place, and in principle the PSN sees no reason to vote against, “except for reasons of electoral return”. Arakama stresses that on issues related to Euskera, the PSN usually refers to the socio-linguistic reality and that the socio-linguistic reality of Mañeru is clear.