The historic Abertzale militant Mixel Bidegain bears politics in all its dimensions. On 30 November, in Maule, we began the debate on the demonstration that brought together 3,500 people in favour of the Territorial Community.

The request of the institution of Ipar Euskal Herria has been relaunched. This time around the streets of Maule.

Because manifestations are necessary, such as catharsis to overcome the step we are experiencing. We've gotten a lot from the dungeon. In addition, during the last stage, the Baiona demonstration left a little disappointment at the small influx of people that gathered. It seemed that we had achieved something and 5,000 people gathered together, between 10,000 and 12,000 homeless voters. In other words, the nationalists themselves did not mobilise. That is why it was necessary to do it inside and more in Zuberoa. All the elected officials in Zuberoa protested. That was unthinkable ten years ago in Zuberoa.

Two days earlier, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault had proposed that Iparralde be structured as a Pole in the Basque Parliament.

The proposal comes within the framework of Act III of French Decentralisation, or where appropriate the initiative. However, this structure is not done with the intention of decentralizing, it is a small step to restructure the territory, it is not to give more power to the local structures. Through this reorganization they have created two or three metropolises. in the Lyon region, for example. For the metropolis they have united the city and part of the department, however, they have not destroyed the department, even though it had been said repeatedly that they would. Decentralisation is nothing more than a lie.

Could the French Government do such a thing in the Basque Country?

Could they link the Basque territory to our metropolis – destroying the department – to create Territorial Collectivity? Who knows? Your opinion is as follows: “They want to create the territorial structure of Euskal Herria and connect it with Euskal Herria.” If we were an island, Corsica or New Caledonia, the territory had settled long ago. The Basque Country is a State problem, a territorial issue, the continuity of the territory, the so-called territorial principle Continiuté, is a problem that cannot be tackled in France.

Region, department, cantons. France’s policy of structuring and decentralisation is not easily understood.

Popular cantons and associations are now being reorganized. Tell us what they consist of.
Indeed, it is normal for a reorganisation to take place. In some cantons there are about 5,000 inhabitants and in some 30,000; in Hendaia, for example. In that canton Kotte Ezenarro is the only counsellor. And also in Bidaxune, with 5,000 inhabitants, Jean-Jacques Lasserre. They are the “legacy” of French history. Cities have increased, but the campaign, the dwarf, has been reduced in terms of influx. Something must therefore be done to compensate for this substitution imbalance. Maleruski, that kari, have mounted a lot of disorder (political chatter). For example, they want to link one canton of Bearn with another in the Basque Country. Amikuze's and Bearn's, moreover, we don't know who it is. The Pau General Council, approved by the Ministry, was going to take a decision, but it has not been carried out. They've been working on it for six years, and they've taken the issue one more year, until 2015.

What is the position of the Pau General Council in the restructuring of the cantons?

The general councillor of the department, Georges Labazee, has said that the Interior Minister, Manuel Valls, has ordered this restructuring of the country’s borders. The socialists here say that the decision comes from above, but I am sure that Labazee and many other socialists, including most of those here, are in favour of that. They do not want the Basque Country to have its own limitations and its legal, political and administrative existence. That is, to be an organization that could reach agreements with the institutions of Hego Euskal Herria in different areas. Structures Aquitaine - Euskadi or Atlantic Pyrenees - Navarre - Aragon yes, but not Basque Country.

The votes of the People’s House will be held in March 2014. In addition to the elected peoples, members of public schools will be elected. There has been talk here and there of the possibility that a territorial Commonwealth could be formed through the Public Schools.

Who knows? It's hard to know. Suppose something like this is done. The question is what would be the competence of this College. Maybe I had a president. If it is in public schools, it can form a common structure. But essentially, the real powers in the French structures are vested in the specific regions, departments or local authorities. Nor would the creation of a Single Community give us the powers of a special Territorial Community, since the law does not allow the competences that we and we demand. Would it be a bit of gold to move forward? Usaia's question.

Many models, but none in particular.

The policy of decentralization began at the time of Mitterrand, then UMP Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin followed him in Minutes II. He gave more power and more freedom to organize. But it has not been used frequently. The objective is that the structure of the region, in the region of Aquitaine, should be the main reference. They seem to have wished to transfer some of the responsibilities of the department to the region and others to the local authorities, as they have indicated. The Salomondiga is one of the activities being carried out, but there has never been a bill to do so. They're inventions of politicians, ambitions. For a moment, “so we can’t go on like this, they thought.” So many tips, counselors and officials. A dossier is prepared that should go through the people's council, the community, the department and the region. They say that they want to simplify the structure, but in the structure they have not done so now.

The so-called Pays structure has disappeared. How are the competences exercised through it to be achieved?

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has proposed to the Government of Spain the structure of Ipar Euskal Herria, Polo. Some media have understood that. Can you call it polo? This new structure is not defined. Ayrault did not say that clearly, or I did not understand it clearly. With what competences, even if this pole is made up of Public Associations? They never speak clear. Are schools going to disappear? Public Colleges could form a union structure similar to the Syndicat mixte. This is the case of Bil ta Garbi, the structure that collects the waste. The new pole or structure would have only two or three competences and would not guarantee the institutional knowledge of the Basque Country. Our demand goes further. The Abertzales must continue to fight for the Territorial Collectivity.

Presentation of the votes of the House of the People of March. How do you see the possibilities of the Abertzales? Will EH Bai be the unit brand of the abertzales?

With the exception of the PNV, EH Bai will be in the case of lists made up of the other parties -AB, Batasuna and EA, as well as non-partisan abertzales. Another problem is when these lists are open. In essence, there will not be a list of candidates that is made up solely of the Basque nationalists. In the Basque lists there will also be those who are not, as well as in the so-called open lists.

In Baiona, the Abertzales have Jean Claude Iriarte as the head of the training list. The one on the left, yes, but they don't present it as abertzale. What do you expect?

The team chaired by Jean Claude Iriarte is an open group. But in the background is abertzale. This has been the case since 1983. I took the second place on the list, with Claude Harlouxet in the lead. We voted 4.94%. We didn't have elected office, because we had to exceed 5 percent. I hope that the Abertzales will achieve something more than 8%, up to 10%. When you do 10% on the second round, you get a lot of weight, you become a key. In Baiona, the Abertzales will be the decisive to elect the mayor of the Labortana locality.

The successor of Jean Grenet will be decided. Jean René Etchegaray, centrist and axuanta, is supported by the UMP. He is a member of Batera. The other big option is that the PSN has Henri Etcheto as a serial head.

The profile of the PSKO Etcheto is that of the anti-Euskadi, that of the opposition to the Territorial Community. Etchegarai participated in the protest on the eve of the arrival of Marylise Lebranchu, minister for the reform of decentralization, to Angelu. He is a member of Batera, who wants to be mayor of Baiona. The lawyer who defended the House of Agriculture with little enthusiasm has insisted firmly on his defence. Naski, each abertzale will see you at the time of voting. What's going to come out of this?

In Biarritz, the successor to the mayor of the village, Didier Borother, will be elected. The Basque groups Biarritz Elkartu and Biarritz Beste will be presented together with the centrist Michel Veunac (UDI).

It seems to me a mistake that the Abertzales do not make up their group in the first round. Jakes Abeberri, who got 14% of the votes twenty years ago, seemed a miracle. Nationalists took the harvest of work for years. They agreed with Borotrea about municipal policy. Now Borother is leaving and the abertzales have not formed a group, but they had to have done so, with Brisson or Veunac as victors, to negotiate something in the second round. The division between Abertzales has existed in the past. Abeberri also goes and has not been able to complete the list. Because that is why we have to make a political personality and a lot of work. In other words, militantism is work and doing so is becoming more and more difficult. In Biarritz, the nationalists have somehow sold their souls as they enter another list.

How do you see the dispute between centrist Michel Veunac and Max Brisson of the UMP?

Veunac is an open man. But what is it going to offer to the Abertzales? Brisson has UMP in the liver. He is in favour of the Territorial Community. He has for a long time been president of the Basque Public Office (EEP). In the last ten years he has known Euskal Herria. He has worked with Euskaldunes. If Max Brisson expires, what place will nationalists occupy in the House of the People?