On 28 December it will be a year since Joseba Asiron acceded to the mayor following the motion of censure. He has taken it as a second option, he has confessed that he has lived it with another peace of mind, “yes, keeping the illusion.” He has acknowledged Euskalerria Irratia that he has taken this second calmer stage, “in 2015 we started from scratch, we had great difficulties to take any step, but we showed that there was another way of doing things.”

Balance of the first year

Asiron has stated that the bases of this second legislature were set in the first stage of the first stage of 2015. He insisted that the agreement with the PSN is strong and asked whether the Socialists will one day enter the municipal group, “I think the councillors who work with us every day would come to taste, because they know what the daily functioning is. I am sure there will be a time when the progressive majority of Pamplona will be reflected in the municipal government.”

For his part, Asiron has ensured that UPN "did not mourn" in the Basque Parliament. “I lost the mayor’s office in 2019, I know what that is, but nobody saw me insulting or crying over the media. Politics sometimes puts you up and sometimes down. It has to be assumed professionally,” he explained.

The Mayor of Pamplona/Iruña has declared that the city was stopped and that it has been launched over the last few months. “A year ago there was no project and now things are moving. Not at the rate we would like, that too is clear to us. We have a housing plan, we are looking for solutions to the problems in Erripagaña or in San Jorge, we have just presented the remodeling project of Sarasate and we have been able to agree and approve two budgets”.

Basque Ordinance and provision of children's schools

Joseba Asiron sees it difficult to reform the Basque ordinance approved by UPN and PSN in 2020. “There is no majority in town hall to agree a new ordinance. The current one is the PSN ordinance. Knowing that, we will have to work in other ways. We will try to agree on a linguistic standardisation plan.”

Of the nineteen children's schools in Pamplona today, one is in Basque and three are bilingual. The fathers and mothers of the capital and various associations in the world of Basque culture have mobilized in recent weeks demanding courageous steps. In Asiron’s view, “if we were able to equate demand and supply in Euskera, it would be a great step forward. For this, the supply will be 33% in Basque. We are in negotiations with the PSN, its position is more flexible than that of four years ago.”

Monument to the Fallen

The mayor of Pamplona has argued that the agreement between EH Bildu, PSN and Geroa Bai regarding the repatriation of the Memorial to the Fallen is "Historical". “The demolition of the building has three steps: a political agreement between the parties, between the progressive parliamentary forces, so that the cataloguing of the monument can be removed and then the project agreed on in the City Hall of Pamplona. In view of the PSN’s position, the possibility of demolishing is not possible today.”

Asiron has recalled that in the 2015 legislature there were the first movements around the Memorial to the Fallen and that now, when they are back in the City Hall, the next steps will be taken. “It must be borne in mind that there is no funding, that most parties do not want to demolish and that the building is protected. There are two options: Reach an agreement with the PSN or do nothing. And doing nothing is the only option we don’t accept.”

Other projects

As for other projects that have been launched, Joseba Asiron has highlighted the remodeling of the Sarasate Promenade in Donostia-San Sebastián. "It's going to be a star project of the legislature. A unified walk, fully accessible, without fences, which will be the natural extension of the Casco Viejo, keeping the current trees and also with sculptures in tribute to Oteiza and Sarasate. It will be wonderful.”

He has also anticipated that St. George and Erripagaña will be the decisive year for next season. In the first case, the views of the neighbours on the three projects to divert underground traffic are being taken up, and in the second case, because it is time to launch new infrastructures. Joseba Asiron expects Beloso’s works to be completed in March.