PNV and PSE-EE have already closed a first – and very long – document of their Government agreement in Euskadi. In the absence of small “fringe” for the wording to be considered final, according to sources familiar with the negotiation, Imanol Pradales already has a guide to prepare his speech this Thursday in the Basque Parliament, in which he is receiving collaboration direct from the current secretary general of the Basque Presidency with Iñigo Urkullu, Manu Castilla. In parallel, this Monday at the last minute both parties have ratified – in different ways but in both cases by an overwhelming majority – their willingness to return to govern in coalition for a third consecutive term.
The plans of PNV and PSE-EE involve signing the agreement this Wednesday in the Basque Parliament. They will do it at 11:00 am. The Chamber is already preparing Simón Bolívar’s wooden table, an old piece of furniture already curved by use and which was brought from the Biscayan town of that name, where the American liberator was originally from. The first alliance was signed there in 2016 and was repeated in 2020. Afterwards, Andoni Ortuzar and Eneko Andueza will answer questions, but not Pradales. Neither did Urkullu appear eight or four years ago.
This text, which exceeds a hundred pages in its current layout, will be the basis of Pradales’ intervention at the investiture session. Four years ago it was not delivered after the signing and everything indicates that this will be the case now as well. He will have a maximum of 90 minutes to detail his Government program and request the confidence of the Chamber. It is already confirmed that he will be appointed that same afternoon after a single vote. He will have an absolute majority combined with the 39 seats of nationalists and socialists.
The PNV held a weekly session of the Euzkadi Buru Batzar this Monday. Urkullu has not attended what will be his last meeting of the executive of which he was president before being lehendakari. And before he was also a representative of the Bizkaia organization. In short, he had been at the EBB for almost a quarter of a century. The following Monday the chair corresponding to the Lehendakari will be occupied by Pradales.
After that meeting, an extraordinary national assembly was called. It is the highest decision-making body between congresses and has a hundred members with the right to vote. Urkullu, who had another institutional event, has not been there either, although some of his advisors, who are ex officio members, have been there. Arantxa Tapia, who is making it clear that she has not communicated that she has abandoned the political front line, has sat next to Pradales. The assembly has given the green light to co-govern with the socialists. Formally, the specific contents of the agreement have not been discussed. The result was unanimous: 100% voted in favor.
“The authorization of the national assembly is mandatory in this type of pact, since it is the one who, by virtue of the statutes, has the power to give the green light to coalitions with other parties. Today’s agreement clears the way for both parties to sign the Government pact at the headquarters of the Basque Parliament next Wednesday – once this procedure has also been completed by the socialist militancy – and for the investiture session to be held on Thursday. in which Imanol Pradales is guaranteed his election as Lehendakari thanks to the 27 votes of the nationalist parliamentary group and 12 of the socialist group, 39 in total, one above the absolute majority of the Chamber,” explained the PNV.
As for the PSE-EE, it had enabled a telematic consultation open to all its members about its pact with the nationalists that was held on the 13th, 14th and 15th. This Monday it was possible to vote in person at the party headquarters. Andueza has done this in his native Eibar while he was enthusiastically applauded by the vice president and acting councilor, Iñaki Arriola, also from Eibar, or by the town’s mayor, Jon Iraola. The pre-agreement reached last Monday had been facilitated to the socialist bases.
As reported by the party after 9:00 p.m. this Monday, 96.18% voted in favor of the pact, which implies only 102 negative votes and 32 white votes. Some 4,800 members from Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa had the right to vote and around 3,500 participated. Four years ago, 93.15% voted in favor of the coalition with the PNV, so support has grown.
Andueza has asserted that his party is “very reflected” and “very represented” in the Government pact. “It connects perfectly with the philosophy and with the fundamental pillars with which we Basque socialists present ourselves in the regional elections, with issues that are those that truly concern Basque citizens, such as health, education, housing, employment, the care model, the demographic challenge, the opportunities for our young people,” he stated.
