Automatically translated from Basque, translation may contain errors. More information here. Elhuyarren itzultzaile automatikoaren logoa

A new era, two book presentations and three jackets

  • Great expectation in the Parliament of Vitoria-Gasteiz on the last spring day. If you've gathered geek people somewhere, you've been here. But there are a lot of people who haven't been there for a long time, and that's for something. 300 media professionals, not in vain. At the age of twelve, the two boxers have been new to going out into the ring. In the first hour of the morning there was no room at Parliament's door because it rained and the nervousness within it, I am sure that today's battle can mark the tempo of the next four years. Urkullu hasn’t heard Otxandiano’s speech, which entered the chamber when Pradales was going to speak.

Pello Otxandiano hizketan, eta atzean Imanol Pradales begira. Pradalesen azpiko eserlekua oraindik ere lehendakari den Iñigo Urkullurena da. Urkulluk ez du Otxandianoren diskurtsoa bertatik bertara jarraitu; amaitu orduko sartu da aretoan, Pradales hizketan hastear zenean. Eusko Legebiltzarra

20 June 2024 - 12:35
Last updated: 14:17

Tour of the investiture session: At 9:30 a.m. the Extraordinary Plenary Session begins. They have submitted their candidates for lehendakari, first EH Bildu and then the PNV; each candidate has given a conference of 90 minutes. The meeting was suspended until 14:30 a.m. So each parliamentary group, from minor to major, has 30 minutes to show their views. The two candidates have a response time, each of them 30 more minutes. The groups are back: An interval of 10 minutes each The meeting will be suspended temporarily for each group to decide on its vote and then the vote will be taken. Completion is scheduled for around 20:00 hours.

Imanol Pradales has come through the arm of Andoni Ortuzar to the parliament hall, as have dozens of journalists, who distinguished the difference between several PNV members and parliamentarians and those of EH Bildu. Pradales has been given the press directly, they have been asked what political programme he was going to present. The answer was hardly audible. It seems that it has turned a little bit and it was no less, because it has run out of half a centimeter away. He has spoken under. It's been just five seconds since I talked. It has not made any progress. What demontre, what they wanted, then I would have 90 minutes of glory in the lectern.

Shortly afterwards, Pello Otxandiano, accompanied by Nerea Kortajarena, arrived in the parliament. You first go at once, then you mimic the other, you feel nervous and you didn't know where it was going very well. All the members of the coalition waited for him and they clarified the way, passing through the thousand and one cameras of the journalists. The people of EH Bildu make a gesture of love, they say that there are all of them and go to the office that they have in their works. As musicians say, I think the last-minute jokes will help ease the nerves, because Otxandiano had to start talking.

Otxandian: in a rigid, well-known tone

It comes out on the lectern with a 45-page leaflet. Classifiable in the Department of Sociology, attending at least the first quarter of an hour of the speech, since, as fake Chomsky died, he has made an analysis of the globalization of the world and of the neoliberal system, with hardly any data, speaking of a more human discourse. The rise of the tip of the right, the commodification of most areas of life... “We are experiencing failure,” he said. And interestingly, when he was pronouncing that more or less, the acting Minister for Economy and Finance entered the chamber. The “Euskadi Banks” are going well, the counselor always says, because every year more is raised in taxes, but Lakua’s executive branch has run out of its own savings bank or strategic company, and that’s why citizens too. Otxandiano has criticised it harshly.

To the one who has been in the executive, however, few would question the opening of other doors – otherwise read the report that ARGIA has produced this week on the arms company Satlantis. And it is armaments, at least among the NATO member states, a strategic path for many investors. The Government of Spain, supported by the first three political forces with more representation in the Parliament of Vitoria, has increased defensive spending considerably, but Otxandiano has made statements in this respect that cannot be caught up in hands. “What is the scenario that reinforces this level of escalation if not the Third World War? Where are we going?” he asked, as if EH Bildu had something to do with this no, zero.

Subsequently, it has delved into the Basque sphere and the Basque culture, granting its title: “The bottle loses water.” He has made it clear, and has led him to suggest looking at the PNV, that the policies of the twentieth century do not serve in the twenty-first century.

Pradales: acting as president

However, according to Pradales, the Basque language is a “second language”. In Basque he says: “It’s one of the best gifts life has ever given me. Fortunately, I am a person who has the opportunity to live in a second language and the Basque language offers me a new way of seeing the world.” Perhaps I was turning to the idea you mentioned earlier, which was born in a family without Basque speakers.

He has expressed his satisfaction with the increased knowledge and use of the Basque Country and his commitment to “continue along this path”. But he has acknowledged that we are coming to a plateau, which is going down, and that is why he says that we must “revive the Basque Country”, “in partnership”. Having said that, he took Maialen Lujanbio's bertso: “So that we continue to create this country, from the Basque and the Basque countries.” I'm going to end.

The proposed change, in any case, has listed a little earlier the commitments of certain short-term actions to be undertaken by the government. Two innovations: to offer anyone the possibility to learn Basque free of charge at all levels, and to guarantee “real” the right to use Euskera in relations with the public administration. You will have to define how you want to do it.

Pradales looks like Urkullu. He has gone to Atril to make a general analysis, to say that the Basque Country is OK, “it is not an oasis, it is not an island, but we are OK”, and to give challenges of a round figure and to name a few. And Urkullu, like today, has put on a blue tie. The road begins somewhere, as Otxandiano said.

Sessions like today's have a lot to do with appearance. Too general promises are often made that are swept by the wind. They hear “improving working conditions”, from time to time hub, deal, center and the like, followed by the verbs “promote”, “push”, “develop” and “invest”. For some it is always a “historical moment” for not knowing what to do.

Self-government

Otxandian throws the ball to the left wall and Pradales responds with air. He says that the self-government lecture must be recovered by claiming that Urkullu has been hidden under the table from Ibarretxe, and that he brought it “à la carte” when he was in his interest, for the sessions of the first courses. Otxandiano reminds him that a parliament with an Abertzale majority has been set up.

Pradales has taken a perhaps unexpected step, and that has been the great novelty of the programme. What has been agreed with the Government of Spain, which has also transferred the last competences of the Gernika Statute, has assumed it as a compromise, but has also committed itself to “take a step further”. “The time has come. We want to agree and adopt, with the greatest possible consensus, a new Statute for the Basque Country”.

Otxandiano has ended his speech by extending his hand saying “it will not be of us” and “ambition”. The key to unraveling these ambitions will certainly be the PNV-PSE, to see how much they play in an absolute majority.

An epilogue

The “third jacket” that is brought to its owner is that of Andueza. It has been inflating for weeks, despite losing votes by winning two seats, and we have seen in the press how it is going to give up the management of a department, because family reconciliation is not easy... Surely Ortuzar and Pradales would prefer Andueza to enter the government, and better still as vice-president, because they would have few opportunities to criticize the government. But as “alone” will be PSE-EE Secretary-General, it will make someone feel uncomfortable and in more than a moment.

It is precisely in today’s plenary that Andueza was the one who got the most out of the seat and gone abroad. I wanted to glimpse the new red tie in front of the cameras, feel protagonist when I didn't have a morning speech... In any case, Andueza will be a figure to be considered in the next four years.


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