The leaders of the Basque Socialist Party (PSE-EE) and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) met at the end of April in the headquarters of Sabin Etxea. The National Assembly of the PNV and the membership of the PSE-EE have ratified the agreement reached by the two parties on June 10 to govern in coalition for the next four years. The agreement includes a commitment to address a “new statutory pact” during this term. The PNV’s highest governing body has unanimously approved the proposal to renew the alliance with the socialists, with 96.18% of the PSE-EE membership that participated in the consultation agreeing to the governance agreement. The two parties have been governing together since 2015 in the main Basque institutions, ensuring the stability of the new autonomous government.
The majority in the Basque Parliament, where the PNV and the PSE-EE hold absolute control, guarantees that the new Basque government, expected to be led by Imanol Pradales, will be stable. Pradales is expected to be invested as lehendakari, the Basque president, by the Basque Parliament on Thursday. The main opposition, EH Bildu, will present Pello Otxandiano as their candidate for lehendakari, but is expected to only receive votes from their own party members. The PNV and the PSE-EE are expected to make public their government program this week. The agreement between the two parties also includes a commitment to work towards a new statutory pact to advance self-government and contribute to the progress of the Basque Country.
The PSE-EE had a high participation rate in the voting to ratify the agreement with the PNV, with 96.18% of the participants supporting the pact. The agreement, titled Bases para avanzar en bienestar, progreso, autogobierno y la transformación de una Euskadi global, outlines the main lines of action that will guide the government of the PNV and the PSE in the coming years. The two parties are focused on fully implementing the Statute of Gernika and achieving the foundations for a new statutory pact through negotiation and consensus in the Basque Parliament. The negotiations for the new government, led by Pradales, are ongoing, with the structure of the government and the distribution of portfolios yet to be finalized.
The PNV and the PSE-EE already have an agreement from late 2023 where the nationalists committed to support the investiture of Spanish President Pedro Sánchez and support key projects of the central government. The PSOE, in return, committed to completing the Statute of Gernika within two years and transferring pending powers to the Basque government. The focus of the current legislature for the two parties is on the full implementation of the Statute of Gernika and the preparation for a new statutory pact through negotiation and consensus within the Basque Parliament.
Eneko Andueza, the leader of the PSE-EE, has stated that the government structure in the Basque Country is still undefined, with some details yet to be resolved. It is expected that the PNV will retain responsibility for key areas such as Security, Health, Education, and Culture, while the socialists will likely take charge of areas like Transport, Housing, and Employment. The composition of the new government is expected to be revealed after Pradales is invested as lehendakari. Andueza has announced that he will not be part of the new government and will focus on preparing his party for the upcoming municipal and regional elections in 2027.
