Imanol Pradales, the candidate for lehendakari of the PNV, recently experienced an attack where someone sprayed pepper spray in his face, causing temporary loss of vision. Despite this incident, he is emphasizing during the campaign that Basque voters must choose between two very different models of country, the one proposed by his party and the one by EH Bildu. He believes that a reedition of the government pact with the socialists is likely, although he is keeping his options open.
Regarding the downward trend of the PNV in recent elections, Pradales attributes it to factors such as desmotivation and wear and tear due to governance. He believes that the party needs to reconnect with the people and seduce them with a renewed vision for the future. He emphasizes the importance of voting for the PNV to safeguard the current standards of wellbeing and quality of life in the Basque Country, as opposed to the drastically different vision proposed by EH Bildu.
Pradales criticizes EH Bildu for their proposed measures, such as the elimination of tax deductions for home purchases, which he believes would negatively impact a large number of people. He advocates for policies that incentivize a housing market focused on social rental housing, especially for young people. He also condemns EH Bildu’s refusal to label ETA as a terrorist organization, emphasizing the importance of ethical and responsible governance in addressing the history of violence in the Basque Country.
Pradales argues that EH Bildu’s approach to governance involves more intervention, control, and imposition, which he believes would harm the future wellbeing and quality of life of Basque society. He emphasizes the success of the social and economic model developed by the PNV, which has led to prosperity, wellbeing, and social cohesion in the region. He urges voters to consider whether EH Bildu’s model would improve or deteriorate their current quality of life.
While acknowledging a decreasing sovereign sentiment in the region, Pradales believes that the majority of Basque society values the benefits brought by the current level of self-governance. He stresses the importance of achieving a new status of self-governance and resolving pending transfers of powers to fully realize the potential of the region. He emphasizes the need for a broad consensus on these issues with other political parties.
In terms of potential governance agreements, Pradales suggests that the PNV is open to collaboration with different parties, including EH Bildu, on specific issues like the Basque language and self-governance. However, he rules out a coalition government with EH Bildu due to fundamental differences in their visions for the future of the Basque Country. He highlights the successful partnership with the Socialists in the past and indicates a preference to continue this alliance in the future.
