- The residents of Orkoien say that the new measure that the City Council wants to implement (PSN) restricts the use of Euskera, as the new text will only use Euskera “to the extent possible”. They have proposed and registered new measures, together with the Observatory on Linguistic Rights.
On November 29, the process of amending the Basque ordinance in force on the website of the City of Orkoien began, proposing a “more restrictive” ordinance. The current text includes the use of Euskera and Castilian in the City Hall, while the news reports that Euskera will be used “to the extent possible”. Until 29 December, the citizens had the opportunity to pass on their opinion and showed a clear discrepancy. “The mayor will agree against rights and opinions by a large majority,” said EH Councilor Bildu, Cristina Indaberea, in Euskalerria Irratia. The mayor is socialist Alex López, with the support of UPN and the group Juntos por Orcoyen.
“With the new ordinance the City Council intends to sweep and empty the Basque language,” explains Indabereak, who assures that the reduction in the use of the Basque language will underestimate the same language.
Orkoien’s neighbours have asked the City Hall and the other public institutions of Navarra to take “measures” to guarantee the linguistic rights of citizens and to promote the teaching and use of the Basque language, as well as to promote equality and coexistence between language and citizens.