The first obligation of the Single Commonwealth of Iparralde has been to make governance policy. Bring the College together with the ten Smaller Colleges that make up the villages, insofar as the rules are laid down.

Yes, of course. Until two years ago, the peoples and the former collectivities were working on policies in their respective fields. Now, and this is the big change, the elect of Euskal Herria are working together on any project to make a stronger policy: in transport, in water, in education. In the past, when we claim the Basque Department or a special institution, that is what we ask. At present, the Single Commonwealth of Iparralde has done so. That is the most optimistic element when it comes to making policy, it must be emphasised.

However, the task is not easy. For example, the PLU (Lolaka Housing Plan) has identified some errors in policy throughout the territory.

Local housing plans must be put up for the whole of the Basque Country – it is an example of PLU – and all plans must be agreed together. It's not easy, of course. We have to give a big case, because we have to do it among all the elected ones. Some elects have become specialists in this area, as the new media are faster. In other words, the most responsible elected officials propose new policies and we can forget the local voters. The challenge of the team working in this field is great. Because the territory is a centralized territory and, at the same time, all the elected members of the region must be involved in the new policy, both to act and to make decisions, both in their region and throughout the territory.

Is it possible to centralise and decentralise policies at the same time?

It's possible. Suppose, in water policy. We unify the management of sweet, dirty and marine waters. Until recently, 104 schools (trade union centres) were involved in this activity. Today, we have unified policies to give the same policy in shape, and at the same time we have created seven districts. In these counties, investments are made by elected premises. For example, when clean water equipment is needed, they propose it themselves, and then we agreed it all together. In other words, projects that can be decided in the region should be allowed to be carried out by the region. We have left the agglomerations of Ipar Euskal Herria in the liver and have structured “seven regions or poles” to make a common policy.

However, due to the imbalance, Mixel Etxebeste, one of the mayors of Maule, has brought the complaints of 101 mayors to the last plenary session of the College.

That was also our concern: because local elected officials could be rechazados.Las new collegial policies gave rise to a number of advantages, but at the same time local elected officials could not decide enough in their region or have not sufficiently encouraged political debate. We have asked all those who have been in the debate whether they wanted to decide on each of the issues and equipment that have been put up in the region. After a new debate, the rules have been formalised in the counties and a better promotion of these policies has been agreed.

The headquarters of the College is located in Baiona. Centralisation is obvious.

This point was also part of that succession, but objectively, the counties are not all centralized. The most important place in the Basque centre is, according to, in Baiona, but all the counties have their headquarters. This has been taken into account in the last deliberation. Each one has its place, we have it in Leuntze, we are six peoples. Although Baiona is the headquarters, in total there are ten small residences in the counties. Perhaps in the future the second main residence will be installed in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Donapaleu or Maule.

With the establishment of the Community, there were disagreements over the transport tax. Because the tax on the payment of transport was levied in the same proportion throughout the territory. Can problems arise in the areas of water, waste, etc. ?

I see no problem. These are the obstacles encountered in each area and in each subject when it comes to establishing new policies, which are normal, which is nothing special. In transport, for example, most of the media were coastal, in the Baiona area. The interior of Lapurdi, Baxenabarre (Donapaleu) and Zuberoa (Maule) has always been a problem connecting with Mugerre [BAD] and we have to keep working. We have taken steps and we have moved forward. The electorate gave priority to transport in the ADBA [Association of Agglomeration Euskal Costa-Aturri], and now, although soft, it is improving throughout the territory. That was also the case in the area of waste. There were 114 structures that have now come together, and that's been a tremendous change.

Elected officials in the interior state that technopoles, such as engineering schools, are mostly installed on the coast.

In this competition the same thing has happened, but the policy of equipment must be in place among all, the equipment must be guaranteed and the investments must also be guaranteed. It is logical that investments to speed up the poles should be shared, so that each pole has its share proportionally. The coast is always seen as a fast place, but inside there are quick counties, and they have also had benefits after the constitution of the Basque Commonwealth, and in some cases much more easily. The agglomerations of Errobi-Aturri and Lapurdi del Sur always look better, but in Donapaleu large investments have been made, the most beautiful. The important thing is that there is a balance between everyone.

A balanced policy between the mountain and the centre is difficult.

Yes. Because the organisation of the whole territory is carried out in conjunction with land management, taking into account the PLU and the SCOT (Territorial Coherence Scheme). The current advantage, however, is that the entire Basque territory has been taken into account. For example, we cannot build anything, either against the Baiona Capital or against Mugerre, we have to do the organization among all. The problem is that people accumulate on the coast and that it is difficult for people to go to some towns in Zuberoa. However, although there are industrial plants in Maule, in Banka it is also a fast economy. For example, the Banca is faster than the people of Urketa, next to the capital.

The problem of the second home is not easy. How do you regulate this?

Yes, this problem is great, people take it into account, everyone has become aware of its form, for example, by putting high taxes. The electorate is concerned about whether people buy – or build – the house for the second life or if it is the first, but not all the cards are in our hands.

It is estimated that in the last decade 40,000 new people have arrived in Ipar Euskal Herria. This also affects the configuration of the Basque School.

We are, of course, also working on this. Some say: “It has reached 40,000 people and it has to be accepted.” Others, by contrast: “Let us first order our territory with the inhabitants we have.” It must also be borne in mind that the regions here also go abroad. We have quite a few problems and people accumulate easily on the coast and with a lot of difficulty in the interior. We need to control this issue more and better. In fact, our structures, both of transport and of water, are not to the extent necessary. We have to start out there, we have to speed up our structures so that neighbors and neighbors have a better lifestyle. We must not let the policy of the PLU be pursued in any way, that is, by accepting more people and then by assembling equipment. So far, this has been done, and growing areas have been reduced. We have started working on transport, water and waste policies from another perspective.

For their part, the President of the Commonwealth of Iparralde, Jean-René Etchegarai, and the lehendakari of the Basque Country, Iñigo Urkullu, have announced a new time of cooperation between the two institutions.

Let us be frank, there is not much at the moment. If there is Basque Country, if there are relations, the rulers of Hegoalde have come here, we go there, but relations are not official, they are not structured. I took care of disasters for fifteen years (head of Bil ta Garbi) and we had relations, but each of us went on our way. However, a draft common policy that we could do, I thought it was possible. The Basque Autonomous Community and the Department have maintained contacts with the CAV, Navarra and Aragon, but Ipar Euskal Herria has not. We have therefore taken the first step, the two presidents have given their hands and told us that we have to work together. That was what had to be done, but…

But...For example, the president of the Government of Navarra has changed and that institution has not been present.

Yes ... However, there's been a bite, so far we didn't have the ability to do it, to relate. Since Ipar Euskal Herria was not structured, it was not possible. Now there is the Basque College and so on... Yes, to put it some way, will it be the beginning of the Tour in the South? I agree. But touring the Tour between Bilbao, Donostia-San Sebastian and Baiona is symbolic, helps to regulate the relationship, but we have to go beyond the symbols.

How, what?

In Oixixa I mentioned the issue of waste reluctantly. We have to do that through public policies...

What do you think of the Zubieta incinerator in Gipuzkoa?

This is a kind of equipment. We have not chosen any of them in Ipar Euskal Herria. No such equipment was mentioned when we were in contact. We have chosen another system, they have done so. So I say, we have to start working together on public policy, but we're not doing it. Everyone does their own thing. Obviously, not everything is suddenly possible, but we have to choose and work on issues to get out of the symbology and start to define policies. It is possible and is done around the Basque country, but there is also much to be done. We have to work on economic issues that affect the entire world of Euskal Herria. A consensual policy is needed to work together on this issue. It is in the five years that they have come that we have to put our strength into.

MAYOR OF CAPITAL

"Peoples must always be a fast place for them to adhere to the power part"