Irun is a reflection of the dangerous tendency of several municipalities to strengthen the activity of popular movements. Five or six associations have so far participated in the arrival of Olentzero and Mari Domingi in the city of Irun. Some of the representatives have explained to ARGIA that they are angry and hurt, because suddenly, in November, the City Hall has told them that he is now the owner of the event, “without having previous contact with us, without saying anything”. They have been told by the City Hall that they take into account the associations and have hired them to participate; in the end the associations have agreed that yes, they will participate, but for the future they want to regain the responsibility of the event.

We have been emphasized that they take great care of the Basque Country, the environment, the costumes… of the associations so that the party is not distorted. In this sense, they fear the decisions that may be taken by the City Hall: “Which companies are going to subcontract? This year they come from Bilbao with the galtzagorris, the coal company also did it in their own way with a company… As in the Cabalgata de Reyes, if at the end of the show they can think of putting Disney characters in? Everything is being artificialized.”

By 2025, the City Council maintains the same play in the budgets. From 2026? “It will already look,” has been the answer. The EH Bildu and PNV associations, which are in opposition, will ask them to make it a condition for approving the budgets that the arrival of Olentzero and Mari Domingi returns to the people.

It can be a solution, we have been told, an agreement with the city council, maintaining the decision-making power over the associations.

Years of struggle

The act was born of the people and has been maintained by the people themselves for all these years. The City Hall saw it well from the beginning and committed to providing resources, “Yes, it has never fulfilled what was promised in economic terms,” they say. In economic matters (and others), it is a long struggle with the City Hall to be able to organize the event with foundation, to set up the city and to be able to do more activities around the saithe. For other events, such as the controversial resurrection of the Christmas lights, or the Cabalgata de Reyes… the City Hall spends much larger amounts. “For some things there are no limits, for us everything is border; the Basque Country and the Basque culture have no priority”. Shouldn't the act of Olentzero and Mari Domingi have the same money as the Horseback of the Magi? The difference, in fact, is very large in the case of Irun.

Dangerous trend

Popular movements give real life to a people, but the tendency to shift the activity of agents from the hands of citizens to those of the administration has been spreading here and there for years. In these cases, the City Hall assumes the role of cultural, cultural, environmental and social associations of the people, with the excuse of professionalization, or discounting resources, hiring a company, disconnecting associations... and often control is one of the main reasons.