The judgment of the High Court of Justice of the Basque Country, which was known on Tuesday morning, has given rise to numerous reactions against various articles of municipal law. The Council has stated that the judgment is “very serious”. On the one hand, it stresses that the municipal law was approved in the Parliament of Vitoria-Gasteiz “with a very broad agreement” and, on the contrary, it opposes it at the initiative of a party with a “very low representation” in the CAPV. On the other hand, he recalls that in July it was the Spanish Constitutional Court that opposed an article of the law and denounces that the weekend ruling is its “extension”. In the opinion of the Council, the municipal law contains measures for the normalization of the Basque country and, annulling it, “it is being denied that it is possible to move towards normalization”.

The ruling, “unfortunately”, stated the Council that on 4 November it gave more reasons for the Basque demonstration in the face of “judicial aggression” against the Basque country. He says that he preferred to devote the forces to the tasks that “need the normalization and revitalization of the Basque country” and not to the “barriers against these sentences”.

Government action

Government spokesman Bingen Zupiria also talked about the sentence. “Justice cannot be used for political purposes,” he said, recalling that the sentence is the result of a Vox party appeal. As the Council has done, it has stressed that the municipal law was approved with a “broad” consensus, and has denounced that the High Court of Justice of the Basque Country has gone “beyond” the Spanish Constitutional Court, “at the time of examining and approving the judgment” of the decree which has partially annulled.

The Government can appeal the judgment. Zupiria says that the Government’s legal services will decide whether or not to file, after the examination, but also says that the judgment “requires” the Government to submit the appeal.

“In doubt also the official status”

“With this decision all the red lines have been overcome, since the Basque Government is also questioned,” the Commonwealth of Basque Municipalities has denounced. According to the association, “the possibility of using Euskera in the administration only with the Spanish maculo has been going on for many years”. It says that the sentence “completely limits” the policies to “revitalize” the Basque country.