This Thursday Lehendakari Chivite announced the news in the Parliament of Navarra and he was also cautious about the date on which the authorities’ forecasts have not been met. Two years ago the health transfer of prisons took place, and so, when the traffic transfer takes place, it will be the second transfer of the Spanish Government to Navarra for twenty years.

Except for the parties of Navarra Suma, all others have taken the announcement well, because the claim of almost all parties is historic. The first transfer agreement was announced in 1999 by Spanish Government President José María Aznar (PP) and President Miguel Sanz (UPN). With the current ETA activity, the PP did not.

The next session was held by Sanz himself in 2002, and on this occasion, in order for the Spanish Government to have no excuse, he offered him that Navarre would regain competition, but that road surveillance would be carried out jointly by the Foral Police and the Civil Guard. The Spanish Government refuses again. The following agreements were adopted in 2018, in the government of Uxue Barkosen, in 2020 and in 2021, in the last two with the government of Chivite, but neither in them was the transfer materialized.

Therefore, Chivit announced that the date of July is almost certain, but that it is not yet definitive. Navarre Suma and the Spanish right have conducted a strong campaign on the subject, especially when EH Bildu introduced the subject of transfer in the budgetary agreements of the Government of Spain with the PSOE. The PSOE has consistently been accused of being in the hands of EH Bildu and of wanting to expel the Navarra Civil Guard.

1,581 civil guards in Navarra

On the contrary, the arguments of the right have neither foot nor head, since, as has been mentioned, the programmes carried out by the Spanish right and the Navarre right are very old. As for the withdrawal of the Navarra Civil Guard, it is a historic demand of the Basque parties, which will not be fulfilled either. In Navarra there are 1,581 civil guards, of which only 10% work in traffic. These civilian guards will be able to access the Foral Police if they so wish.

The Civil Guard will not disappear from the roads of Navarra from 1 July. The process of transferring competences will last for five years until 149 police officers are needed by the Foral Police to start their competencies.

The Foral Police will recover with the transfer the duties of imposition and withdrawal of fines, processing of autoschools and driving licences, training and road safety campaigns, accident information management and road control at sports or other events.