The Basque Parliament rejects the debate on basic income proposed by the people's initiative
- Launched in February last year, the popular legislative initiative for Unconditional Basic Income obtained 22,075 signatures to bring the proposal to parliament. This Thursday the proposal was discussed in Parliament and was rejected with the votes of PNV, PSE, PP and Vox: 47 against and 26 in favour.
Meanwhile, EH Bildu and Elkarrekin Podemos (EP-IU) chose to channel the bill, both to give way to the laws of popular initiative and to open avenues for new policies to fight poverty.
According to the proposal prepared by the People's Legislative Initiative, all citizens of the CAPV would receive a basic unconditional income: EUR 900 per month for over 18 years, EUR 450 for over 4 to 18 years and EUR 270 for under 4 years. These subsidies would be recognised as rights and would be received by all citizens, whether they are poor or rich.
The aim of those who have drafted the proposal for a popular initiative is to respond to the growing poverty with a new form of policy that will allow all citizens to have the minimum means to live in dignity. The proposal, also known as universal basic income, is growing worldwide and at present, especially in the European context.
The Government wishes to deepen the current path
The Basque Government and the PNV had already announced that they would not channel the initiative, because they believe that the current Income Guarantee Income (IGR) can cope with poverty and exclusion. The other groups that opposed them also argued their refusal along the same lines.
Elkarrekin Podemos and EH Bildu have seen the proposal as an opportunity to open doors to debate, especially as a way to explore new policies against poverty. At the state level, we can include in its electoral program in the 2014 election campaign the proposal of unconditional basic income, but not in the last electoral program brought to the Government of Spain.
In general, the major parties on the left still do not offer in their programs the proposal of this new type of rent, among other things because they are not clear whether it is the most appropriate and viable, but, in general, the discourse in favour of universal basic income is gaining space in the parties and social agents on the left, and it is also opening its way between those on the right, although with a very different perspective.
Bittersweet valuation
The citizens who promoted the initiative stated yesterday in Parliament that "an historic opportunity was lost", and that, although they were angry at not considering the proposal for the debate, they were satisfied because a further step in their socialisation has been taken: "Today we are closer than yesterday to ensuring that in the Basque Country we have the right to Unconditional Basic Income: The PEL process has allowed us to move the RBI proposal to tens of thousands of people; we have contacted a multitude of social and trade union organizations with which we have shared the idea of a tool such as the RBI".
The proponents of the initiative recall that in Catalonia a pilot experience of universal basic income is being made, and they say that sooner or later they will also get it here. In the next interview, Sergi Raventos offers a more comprehensive assessment of this experience.
They have also expressed their thanks to EH Bildu and Elkarrekin Podemos for having defended the debate on the initiative. In the European Union, a collection of signatures of this kind is also being promoted, and the PNV is being accused of having left there to open a debate and close the door here.
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