Euskal Etxeak Readers Share the Hope That Basque Government Since January ’95
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INTERVIEW ELKARRIZKETA INTERVIEW WITH THE VICEPRESIDENT OF THE BASQUE GOVERNMENT Juan José Ibarretxe: “The future organization of the basques will depend on our own will” Bingen Zupiria How and why did you get mixed up with the world of politics? Mainly because I wanted to be of service. Before I started to acquire political responsibilities, in Llodio Town Council, I was the president of the Llodio Cycling Society, and before that I belonged to another association. It is al- ways a question of wanting to be of service, trying to find the right channels to help the citizens’ projects be- come real. After all that is what politics are all about. It is a kind of work that gives people the opportunity to change reality, to improve it, to develop the objectives of society as a collectivity. You are quite experienced in the political field, and that gives you a privileged point of view of Euskadi. What is your opinion of Basque society? Basque society is essentially alive, vital, bursting to build its future. Moreover, they want to do it in peace, no matter how many clichés are broadcast through the me- dia. Basque society is hardworking, and mainly worried about the future of the younger generations. This society also has a very deep feeling of belonging. We are not an ingenious society, we are hardworking and we know that things have to be built every day, tirelessly, for no- body is going to give us anything for free. ject in them our way of being, our way of understanding In spite of your youth you have a long political ca- self-government, and the level of self-government we reer: you have been Mayor, president of the General want for the future. Rules and regulations are not half as Assembly, member of Parliament, Vice-president of the important as having the institutions that enable us to or- government, and you have taken an active part in the ganize ourselves. I am absolutely certain that we Bas- organization of the Basque institutions in this last de- ques will have the organization we will choose, and that mocratic stage. How would you explain the present our relations with other powers, such as Spain, Europe moment of this nearly ex-novo institutionalization? or whatever will also take place according to our own I would say this is a crucial moment to define its fu- decisions. ture. The Basque people have understood self-govern- Achieving self-government has always been ment in a peculiar way. This started again after Franco’s fraught with political and institutional tension. Is it pos- death, once the transition was taking place. From the sible to tackle this subject without generating this im- point of view of institutionalization there has been a very pression of permanent struggle? And what is the level important evolution. The Basque institutions are at pre- of self-government Basque society demands now? sent very solid, the Basques feel they are represented by The Gernika Statute was a political agreement that them, and –this is the most important part– we can pro- has not been fulfilled yet, because there has been a shor- 8 INTERVIEW ELKARRIZKETA tage of loyalty in Madrid in relation to it. As for the futu- re, I think it is not so important to discuss specific issues, as to debate about the question of which are the instru- ments Euskadi needs as a society in order to develop its projects in relation to this new reality of Europe. Our self- government was defined 20 years ago, when the Euro- pean reality was very different. The constitutional texts under debate at the time did not even consider the rea- lity that was to come. Our self-government is in danger, just as any other form of political power is at present in Europe in danger of becoming obsolete if it does not un- dergo the necessary adjustments. The new realities are established by this project we are creating in relation with a united Europe. But at the background there is al- ways the will of Basque society. In our day and age we know something for certain: the societies define themsel- ves and their future. From this point of view, what we may come to be in the future, the degree of self-govern- ment we are to reach in the future, that is for Basque so- ciety to define. Juan José Ibarretxe, 41, is vice president of the Many Euskal Etxeak readers share the hope that Basque Government since January ’95. He is so- the relations of the Autonomous Community with Na- meone Lehendakari Ardanza absolutely relies on, varre and Iparralde will become closer. Do you believe and he has been Ardanza’s right hand during this that these relations could be more intense in the future? legislature. Married and with two daughters, he They could, that depends on our own attitudes. I re- loves sports –and practices athletics and cycling– peat that it is for us to decide our future. The society of Navarre will also have to express their will in relation to and it is not unusual to see him riding his bike on their future project. And it is the same for Iparralde. I Basque roads or taking part in popular athletic think it is very important to act carefully and with respect. competitions celebrated in different places in Eus- It is for the population of Navarre and Iparralde to deci- kadi, and with good results generally. He has a de- de how they want to define themselves, how they want to gree in economics and a long experience in poli- live, what kind of relations they want to have inside the tics and in institutional management. He has been Basque society. In short, nobody will be forced to be Mayor of Llodio, President of the General As- where they don’t want to be, or not to be where they sembly of Alava, a member of the Social Council want to be. of the University of the Basque Country, a member You belong to a generation of Basques that have al- of the Basque Parliament and Vice President of the ways had to live with ETA. What are your views on this Basque Government. He was literally “lassoed” problem? And do you see any solutions? The problem cannot be approached at present with by Lehendakari Ardanza in ’94, when he was resignation or resistance to change, for it is a problem about to pursue in the United States a research on that has to be overcome. It is very important for Euskadi the compatibility of the American economic deve- to grow economically, to become a part of this new Eu- lopment and the European social protection sys- ropean reality, and to do so without losing our identity as tems. ■ a people. But it is even more important than that to lea- ve a tolerant society to our children. This is in my opinion an aspiration that can never be given up by a society, we should talk much less about peace and do much mo- which is not violent, which loves peace, and which the- re for it. refore has the duty to create it. All political approaches I won’t ask you for a final solution for the problem that mean a delay in the solution of the problem are de- of violence, but what are the grounds upon which pea- eply irresponsible. There are no dead times for peace. ce could be achieved? Every second, minute and day are important to try to I must say that many times we have heard approa- find a solution for our problems. In the political debates ches that have been betrayed when put to practice. The and approaches we can see attitudes that take us further progress in the field of the search for peace has always away from this goal instead of bringing us closer. I think been based on two pillars: on one hand the discretion 9 must be based on the respect for the opinion most Basques have on the matter, and this opinion of the majo- rity must be accepted. We have already talked about the European framework and about the problem of violence... What are the other urgent matters on the agenda of Basque society? We must bear in mind that we are under the influence of two processes of change: on one hand the Europe- an integration process, and on the ot- As vicelehendakari Ibarretxe has had many conversations with the General Deputies of her hand the changes all countries Alava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. are undergoing as a result of the di- gital era, the information revolution when debating. And on the other hand the certainty on that has destroyed time and distance. Nowadays in the the side of the different political and social groups, that whole world the rich and the poor, the citizens of India this is a subject that cannot be used for profit in terms of or the United States, those living in the country and tho- votes. In my opinion any possible solution must have de- se living in big cities receive the same information at the eply democratic contents. What I mean by that is that it same time through the new technologies. Frontiers have disappeared from the economic and intellectual point of view. Frontier has become a term used only by politi- cians. If Euskadi can see this clearly, if we take an attitu- ● Arduragabekeria da indarkeriaren de of welcoming change, innovation, universality –ob- konponbidea gerorako uztea viously never forgetting our own personality– then we will be taking the right steps towards building a project to increase the welfare of the citizens.