ESTATUTU POLITIKO BERRIA The Lehendakari's statement for a New Statute for In his statement before the Congress of I appear before you by express request of the Basque Deputies in defense of the Proposal for a Parliament to defend the new Political Statute for the Basque Country, a proposal which belongs neither to the New Statute for the Basque Country, the Government nor to this particular Basque President, but Lehendakari wanted to say a few words which was passed by absolute majority of votes in the to members of Congress in Euskara Basque Parliament,representing the absolute majority of before underscoring the spirit of Basque society; and in doing so, I bring to this Chamber dialogue and negotiation that brought the spirit of dialogue and negotiation which has prevailed in the feelings and customs of the Basque people from him to the Spanish capital. But before time immemorial. focusing on the matter at hand, Juan José Ibarrexe pointed out that the Two preliminary matters plenary session was being conducted "hastily and with little political debate" I would like to express two concerns before dealing with the matter in greater depth. and that the Basque problem, "whichever name you prefer, is not new The first is that this plenary session is being conducted to this Chamber, nor is the debate hastily and with little political debate. Negotiation has surrounding the issue." been denied. Offers put forward by the Basque Government to the Spanish Government, and by the Basque Parliament to this Chamber of Deputies have been turned down. The whole matter is expected to be Introduction substantiated in this session, as if this were an in-depth debate,which it clearly is not.There is a sense of rushing to Speaker of the House,Leader and Members of the Senate, finish,and this debate calls for a great deal of serenity and President and Members of the Government, Eusko composure. Legebiltzarrearen Presidentea eta giltzakideok, Sailburuok,ladies and gentlemen of this Chamber. The second concern I would like to put on record here is that the Basque issue, or Basque problem, whichever On behalf of the Basque Parliament I would like my first name you prefer,is not new to this Chamber,nor is the words to be in Euskera, the official language of our debate surrounding the issue. I am not the first person to country, an ancient language which the Basque people broach the subject and will surely not be the last. have used for generations to express their yearning for freedom and their desire for friendship with other peoples With regard to this issue,I want to make it clear,especially with whom they have coexisted throughout history. to the Spanish public,that it is not related to the existence of ETA perpetrated violence.ETA’s campaign of violence Eusko Legebiltzarraren izenean etorri naiz hona, is malicious and inhumane, and, needless to say, the Espainiako Gorteetara, defendatzeko Euskadik eta damage it causes is immense. It harms people in general euskaldunok eskubide osoa dugula gure etorkizuna and causes grief for the families of its victims;it damages askatasun osoz erabakitzeko. Basque society and the image of Basque people. Nothing causes greater damage to a peaceful hardworking society I have come to this Chamber as a representative of the as does ETA violence. Basque Parliament to defend the right of the Basque people to decide their own future. But this should not be confused with the political problem surrounding the relationship between the Basque Country 6 Issue 67 Year 2005 NEW POLITICAL STATUTE in defense of the Proposal the Basque Country and Spain, an issue that goes back much further than the existence of ETA’s brutal and inhumane campaign of violence.The political relationship between the Basque «I have come with a proposal for a Country and Spain has been the subject of debate for Statute, a new Political Statute nearly two hundred years.Almost two hundred years have gone by since the conflict over the Bonaparte Constitution passed by absolute majority in the in 1808, or the Constitution of Cádiz in 1812, and the disputes in 1839 and 1876 on the laws abolishing the Basque Parliament, and I come with Fueros. After all, this led to the Spanish Constitution guaranteeing the protection and respect of the historic my hands outstretched, with a rights of the foral territories in its First Additional Provision. willingness to negotiate, to start a process of negotiation» At this time in history, 166 years later at the dawn of the 21st century, we have the opportunity to repeal the Issue 67 Year 2005 7 ESTATUTU POLITIKO BERRIA «We demand a greater level of self-government because we want to improve the quality of life for all Basque citizens» Therefore, what we face is a problem of coexistence which we have not managed to resolve over the years. We have not invented anything new.The Basque Parliament did not invent anything when it approved the new Political Statute for the Basque Country. Lehendakari Agirre said here in the plenary session of 5 December 1935 amidst staunch protest and murmurs: "We have come to the Cortes with a spirit of cordiality which you do not appreciate.We have come with a Statute voted by the people, and what has happened? The Cortes are agonizing over the matter while our Statue waits." This is precisely the same feeling I have today as representative of the Basque Parliament in this abolitionary laws once and for all and recover a Chamber.I have come with a proposal for a Statute,a new framework of coexistence based on free association, Political Statute passed by absolute majority in the consensus and shared sovereignty. It is in our hands to Basque Parliament, and I come with my hands create a solution scenario. Are we not talking here about outstretched, with a willingness to negotiate, to start a historic rights,about foral territories,about a people with process of negotiation. As I understand it, this Chamber a certain way of mixing with first with the regions of Spain cannot say no to the will of the Basque Parliament without first and then with the Kingdom of Spain? How else are we acknowledging the need to negotiate.We have come with to understand 166 years later that the Constitution our hands outstretched with a desire to negotiate,and it is embraces the existence of those rights it claims to protect my heartfelt hope that you do not reject our offer when the and respect? And is it not true that the Statute of time comes to vote at the end of the day. Autonomy of Gernika contains an additional provision whereby the acceptance of the system of autonomy Right to decide and obligation to reach an agreement established therein does not imply that the Basque people waive the rights that as such may be due them by virtue of The first message is that I sincerely believe that there is a their history? way to achieve our goals; I sincerely believe there is a 8 Issue 67 Year 2005 NEW POLITICAL STATUTE Today I am presenting a proposal agreed upon by the absolute majority of the Basque Parliament. We have «Basque society is dynamic, complied with the legal procedures set out in the Statute of Gernika, so it is no good to talk about the rules of the modern and plural, and looks game and then question them when they have been respected.You are sending us a message that says you are not willing to negotiate, that this Chamber will say no to toward a hopeful future. We are a the will of the absolute majority of the Basque Parliament and Basque society without even starting a process of negotiation. And I ask you these questions:What are you sensible society that has come of afraid of? Why are we afraid to create a Joint Commission of the Basque Parliament the Cortes Generales to initiate age. We are old enough to make a negotiation process? What is there to be afraid of? What is this Chamber afraid of? our own decisions and this is I believe in dialogue; that is why I have come here to this Congress on behalf of the Basque Parliament,despite the fact that through the media it is already public knowledge what we want to do. Today the that you have decided on how you are going to vote prior to any debate. As I said at the beginning, I have serious Basque Country is a society which doubts as to whether, in a session of this nature, with interventions defined by regulation and by the spokespersons of the parliamentary groups, it is possible is moving forward» to conduct an in-depth debate on the matter. But in any case, I want you to know that I came here because I believe that as long as we are given the solution; I sincerely believe there is a meeting point.The opportunity to speak, we will assert time and time again, crux of the debate lies in the right to decide and the in the name of the absolute majority of the Basque obligation to reach a consensus. Parliament, the right of Basque society to decide its own future.That is why I feel it is extremely important,in spite 25 years ago the Statute of Autonomy of Gernika was of all the difficulties,to be here today. passed in this Chamber and ratified by the Basque people; today it is a law that has yet to be upheld in spite of the A mature society agreements, in many cases unanimous, adopted by the Basque Parliament I represent here today.