It maintains the old formula of government between the PNV and the PSE for the new Basque Government that has been presented this weekend. The Basque Government has reaffirmed itself these days in the composition of the Executive and in its desire to maintain the forms and direction of politics. On the contrary, there are significant changes both in the membership of directors and in the organization of the government.

People who have come and go

The Basque Government is divided into 11 departments and has five new members: Idoia Mendia, Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Employment; Gotzone Sagardui, Minister of Health; Jokin Bildarratz, Minister of Education; Olatz Garamendi, Minister of Governance and Self-Government; and Javier Hurtado, Advisor on Tourism, Trade and Consumption. Five other former advisers have been added to the newcomers: Former Minister of Education Cristina Uriarte, former Minister of Tourism José Antonio Retortillo; former Minister of Security Estefanía Beltrán de Heredia (in the Senate of Madrid Beltrán de Heredia), former Minister of Health Nekane Murga; and former Minister of Labor and Justice Maria Jesús San José. Eight of the items are held by the PNV and three by the PSE, but the money that the PSE will manage has risen considerably.

Education, health, environment

Politically significant is the change of the top leaders in Education and Health. The performance of both Murga and Uriarte has been the subject of many criticisms in recent months, and the image of both has been considerably eroded. Before the new Basque Government was known, the door had been opened for the PNV to also bring Iñaki Arriola out of the Basque Government because of the crisis in the Zaldibar landfill. Arriola has ceased to be an environmental advisor, but will continue to be a counsellor, head of the Department of Territorial Planning, Housing and Transport of the Basque Government.

Arantxa Tapia and Pedro Aspiazu are in charge of directing the areas with the highest representation, while the rest will do so under the direction. Azpiazu, who is headed by the Department of Economy and Finance, has appointed Tapia as the Basque Government’s Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment.

Erkoreka and Mendia

After Urkullu, Erkoreka is the person with the greatest command in the new Basque Government: he is the first vice-president and Security Advisor. For its part, Bingen Zupiria, who continues to lead the Basque Government’s Ministry of Culture and Linguistic Policy, has announced that he will no longer be a spokesperson. The second vice-presidency is Idoia Mendia, following negotiations for government formation between the PNV and the PSE.

Mendia, like the PSE, gained political weight with the renewal of the Basque Government. In addition to being the second vice-president, in the previous legislature he has assumed responsibilities which were divided into two departments, as the Employment and Employment Counsellor of the Basque Government.

Basque Country and parity

In the past Basque Government there were three councilors who did not know Euskera, and in the newly created there are two: The jeltzale Beatriz Artolazabal and the socialist Javier Hurtado have today presented their candidature for lehendakari in Bilbao. As far as gender equality is concerned, six of the eleven members are men and five women.

Memory and coexistence

In addition to the Department Departments and Chiefs, there are also changes in Lehendakaritza. The Gogora Institute, so far headed by Aintzane Zenarro, and the Secretariat for Peace and Coexistence, presided over by Jonan Fernández, have moved to the Department of Equality, Justice and Social Policies under the direction of Councillor Beatriz Artozabal. The same has happened with Emakunde, who was led by Izaskun Landaida in the previous parliamentary term.