In Navarra, taking Euskera as an educational tool, is suffering the most strategic aggression of the last decades. The worst thing is that it has the explicit or implicit support of too many Euskaltzales. The Programmatic Agreement 2019-2023 signed by PSOE, GeBai, Bah-Ahal Dugu and IE states in paragraph 3.1, point 32, the following: “To promote educational institutions that integrate more than one linguistic model”. Mixed models have come to us. It is no longer just the promotion of the IAP.

What is the objective? It is not about ending with a wall that is “exclusionary”, but about ending with a wall in Basque. That is, to hinder the proper transmission of Euskera in the school environment and to transfer the diglosic situation to the few respiratory areas of Euskera. As if we did not have enough problems in the Model D centers… in the children’s schools of Pamplona the branch of Euskera and the Spanish branch is already being implemented, mixing the spaces and activities of both. In addition, they have added activities in English in the classrooms of boys and girls who do not even know how to speak and who only need the most basic love and learning.

Gimeno added: “The plan is to give continuity to the mix of models of children’s schools in the cycles from the age of 3.” Do you imagine Navarre without teaching establishments entirely in Basque? And how do they sell it? For by saying “children are sponges”, sacrificing pedagogy and linguistics, and claiming a false “coexistence” that marginalizes us and dominates the Spanish language.

And what is heard among the families who have chosen or want to choose the model of immersion in Basque? Well, to the extent that it's a diverse community, of everything. But you also hear, “Well, we have at least one branch in Euskera,” “Well, you’ll learn from the age of 3,” “uf, the option in Euskera is two neighborhoods beyond,” “Mine will learn Euskera and English in D-PAI”… you also see the consequences of the paradigm shift that COVID-19 entails: Now it doesn’t matter anything other than health and economy, that is, “the little ones, for later.” And meanwhile, in the backpack mentioned so often in the pedagogy meets in the age range 0-6, the Basque Country has less and less weight.

What are the consequences? Let's look at the data from Euskarabidea: In short, and apart from local data, knowledge has increased considerably and its use is maintained or decreased. In Navarre, there are more Euskaldunes in the mixed zone than in the Vascophony zone. There are much more vasco-receptor speakers than active vasco-speakers.

Over and above municipal policy, parties, aware of these general facts and socio-linguistic trends, have built a new language policy for potential voters. Instead of responding to the needs of those who want to live in Euskera (home materials, immersion in children’s school, immersion in school, Euskera plans, leisure in Euskera, general prestige,…), they have adopted speeches and practices based on what they have enough with the knowledge of Euskera in the mouthpiece (mixed model, D-PAI model, model A,…). And that is why we see the signing of some in favor of the promotion of mixed models; that is why Euskarabidea has not campaigned in favor of model D; that is why the budgets are signed without putting any red line to the attacks of the Basque Country; and that is why the PSN puts us in the face “submerging us is exclusionary”.

We need to get committed politicians, to talk in their parties about the situation in all its dimensions, and to have enough effect to move from folkloric linguistic policy to a language policy that defends the rights of the Basque people. And, of course, ending putting red lines on Euskera’s attacks on subsequent investitures, government agreements or budgets is of vital importance. What needs to be changed here is not the PSN. We Euskaltzales have to empower ourselves, and if others want to treat it, they know that we can alleviate many things, but with what makes us Navarros and Euskaldunes, in no case.