Last Sunday's elections left two fronts open in Sabin Etxea, the PNV headquarters. The jeltzales, on the one hand, must address a reflection after the second electoral setback in two months: they have lost more than 100,000 votes, compared to the previous generals, and EH Bildu is on their heels. The Basque nationalists, on the other, will probably have to enter into an investiture negotiation with Pedro Sánchez, once they have already ruled out the possibility of supporting Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The party's president, Andoni Ortuzar, referred to both issues this Saturday, stressing that they will be "self-critical" and that, in any case, they will be the ones who will guarantee "the defense of the Basque and its interests before the next Spanish government".
Ortuzar's statements have taken place within a traditional party act at the end of July, the celebration of the anniversary of its foundation, in this case 128.
The Jelzale leader began his speech, in which he was supported by the party's executive, with its territorial leaders, and by the lehendakari, Iñigo Urkulu, acknowledging that his formation is suffering "in the midst of a complex and rarefied political climate". , with social changes that the pandemic and the post-pandemic have accelerated and accentuated, and with propitious times for "false populism and the advance of the most extreme positions."
Ortuzar has opted for "correcting errors, from humility and with all the necessary self-criticism", and innovating in its way of managing and relating "with the existing polyhedral society", in order to "excite it" to continue accompanying them "in the journey to the national and social liberation" of Euskadi. "This is going to require a permanent exercise of active listening to the Basque citizens and a quick and adequate response to their desires and demands", she indicated.
As he has assured, they have to carry out "this process of reconnection and reconnection" with that part of Basque society that has given them a "wake-up call", and he added that they will return in September "with their batteries fully charged to face a high voltage political course".
In any case, self-criticism has been limited, and Ortuzar has devoted part of his speech to questioning the model of society.
"A lot of demand built on the 'I', on 'my', passing to the background the 'we' and 'our'; primacy of individuality over the community; evanescence and volatility of the exercise of the vote; unlimited requests to some administrations that see themselves more as service providers than as Public Institutions", he lamented.
After noting that some people consider themselves "more clients than citizens", he has warned about a "more liquid, disruptive and unstructured" society. "They are global phenomena that have also carved a niche for themselves in a Basque society that has changed substantially at the pace of the first world in the last four years," she added.
In any case, the president of the EBB of the PNV has warned those who speak of the "supposed decline" of the jeltzales, that they continue "here, standing and strong", to continue "being the guide of this people towards their freedom ", and has assured that, after having "stopped a regressive government" of the PP and Vox, they will guarantee "the defense of the Basque and its interests before the next Spanish Government".
"This is not just about vote rankings: it is about, above all, having things clear and the capacity for real influence in each place and institution, and today, political coherence and the resources to influence are in the hands of the supposedly PNV decline, regardless of who weighs," he said.
On the other hand, he stated that "beyond the devilish Spanish political chessboard, which can lead us to any situation in a few months, in less than a year from now Basque and European elections will be held, both ones and the other, very important for the future of our country."
As he explained, in the former the different ways of understanding and building Basque society will be at stake. "In the others we will risk our representation in the increasingly influential Europe in our lives," she added.
Finally, Ortuzar has indicated that the PNV will call its bases to a new General Assembly to set up the party every four years and elect those who will lead the highest organs of the Party.
"I know that many of you are looking at our faces these days, at the faces of the burukides, the Lehendakari, to see how we are doing. illusion that you transmit to us in each act; this party has always grown in the face of adversity and problems; this time it will be like that too", he assured to the applause of the militancy.
