The results have been the same as in the election campaign, which took place this Sunday. The PNV was not fully opposed to proclaiming it as an alternative to Lehendakaritza. The Jeltzales have been able to define and impose the framework of the debate. Everyone accepted their game, everyone talked about management by putting one or two eyes on Spain.

The conclusion has been clear, the PNV has achieved a great victory. Although participation is reduced and a new party is introduced in the Basque Parliament, the Jeltzales have won 13,000 votes and two more parliamentarians. Easy investiture is secured with 29 Members, if you will, without the support of other parties. On the other hand, to push through the laws and budgets, the PNV only needs the support of one party and has four negotiating doors, which will give it great power in any agreement on its agenda and its policies. More than ever, the Basque policy will pivot around the PNV.

EH Bildu breathed with 17 Members. Having said that the results of the last two elections in Spain were nothing more than a nightmare, Otegi has made a very positive reading, although he has left 50,000 votes and four Members on the way. The 2012 scenario is far away. Therefore, the best way to understand the results of EH Bildu is to compare them with the results of the 2015 forced elections. In one year he lost more than 18,000 votes to achieve a number similar to that of Euskal Herritarrok (EH) in 1998. However, there are some important differences, on this occasion the Left Abertzale goes with EA and Alternatiba, which has significantly moderated his speech. Consensus space has been reduced to build popular agreements to the detriment of the independence and leftist agenda. Another difference is that the unequal results of HD Bildu range from region to region. In 1998 EH Bildu had a lot more votes in Greater Bilbao, today this loss is compensated by EH Bildu with what wins in the most Euskaldunes. This is a worrying fact for a party with a national vision.

Elkarrekin We can have a strong break in the Basque Parliament, but it has not met the expectations of its parliamentary group. The purple coalition has been unable to repeat the results of the 2015 forced elections won by Podemos and Irabazi, leaving around 20,000 votes on the way and has not even reached half of the votes obtained in the Spanish elections. Weak candidates and diffuse messages have not had their support, even though the main problem has been the same as all parties across Spain: low turnout.

The lowest turnout in the Basque Parliament elections occurred in 1994, with this year’s turnout being the worst at 62.26%. When there is no tension on the national axis of struggle, the Spanish parties have difficulty in mobilising their electorate. That is why the main victim has been the PSE-EE, but also the pp, which has been left out. Both parties obtained 22.1% of the votes and 24% of the representatives in the Basque Parliament. For its part, the vote in favour of the right to decide was 73.71% and 76% of the seats. The Basque Parliament will be the most self-determination of the next legislature. One thing, however, is the political position of the parties on this issue and another is the will to take precedence over the right to decide. It does not seem that with the result of Elkarrekin we can be prepared to give priority to this issue, and in the same way we can think of the PNV. In fact, putting these kinds of issues on the table can raise the tension and create possibilities for losing the political hegemony that the PNV currently has.