How does the Jaizkibel company see this year?

Every year we are a bigger company, a sign that it is a healthy and living company, bringing together more and more people. And the company is not just the one we go inside, it's the one that's out, and in the essays this year we've seen that the street is alive, we anticipate September 8.

From the traditional alarm, both the proposal of the Alarde de Todos association and the proposal of the Saindua group requesting the participation of women in the alarde emerge.

We see that from more and more different places we come to the same conclusion: women have to participate in parties like men. These contributions are always positive, although we have discrepancies with the proposals put forward, but they are the basis for channelling the dialogue we have long demanded in the solution and creating a shared space. It is observed that everyone who reflects on the subject is aware of the reality: women cannot participate in equality and must end it.

Have you seen the Jaizkibel company undervalued in the Holy One’s approach?

It is clear that this is not a proposal from Jaizkibel, but it has been created by people who may have been in positions opposed to Jaizkibel, but we are not sorry against Jaizkibel, because Jaizkibel is recognised as an interlocutor. As I said, the proposal makes it possible to dialogue, to accommodate different opinions, and most importantly to show that the monolithic view that some have believed is also changing between them.

But “among them” the Alarde Foundation has roundly denied these changing views…

It's an important key. Who are the people who govern? Who has decided to give them legitimacy to explain to them as representatives of all the people about the alarm, when it is the opinion of a few? Who are they to speak on behalf of the whole people about the common heritage? It is a small group that deserves more or less intense recognition, but a small group. Jaizkibel is much more democratic in this sense, we work in assembly, with transparency, our spaces have always been open… And on the other side there is a lot of opacity.

That is why we believe that the process of dialogue and leadership belongs to the city hall, because the parties are of the people and because if someone legitimately represents us it is the city hall. This year we have presented the Hondarribia Berdintasuna Hiria Award to the Alarde de Antzuola, in which it is stated that in Antzuola women did not participate and that in order to resolve the conflict they went to Eusko Ikaskuntza to carry out a process. They stress that citizen participation was an important key. What will be here, about ten people? We have a problem, transparency and proper participation should be guaranteed by the city council.

On the contrary, the Hondarribia City Hall has not addressed the issue for years.

They have been acting as an ostrich, or rather they have clearly positioned themselves in favour of the Alarde Foundation, although they wanted to give an image of neutrality. One party has been given all the legitimacy and power. This year we have a new city hall [Abotsanitz] that has put on the table various gestures, as for example in the festival program is Jaizkibel, the final photo of the program all together is very significant. Once the festivities are over, a process must be launched in search of a solution; the mayor himself has pointed out the need for a process of dialogue.

In this regard, we have talked about the power of the Alarde Foundation, and one of the excuses of recent years for not taking the process of dialogue forward has been that they do not want to sit, because we are going to sit down those we want, that we have many citizens and agents who have something to say about the alarm, that it is not an obstacle that we do not want to sit down to carry the process forward.

The Gipuzkoa MEP, Eider Mendoza, announced on Tuesday that he will receive the traditional scaremonger and the Jaizkibel company. The former PNV general deputies did not approach Hondarribia.

It is a mistake to put the two realities at the same level when we are experiencing a conflict. Just as Emakunde or Ararteko have done so far, we should also place the Member for equality [the representatives of Emakunde and Ararteko are approaching every year to support Jaizkibel], because the position of the Member general breaks with the idea that very few citizens share, the idea of the two scares, the idea of two possible and not legitimate options here.