According to the Lehendakari, the purpose of Osakidetza’s reorganization is not to save money. “The budget has increased by 48% in 10 years,” he said.
If 10 years have passed since he took office as Lehendakari, Inigo Urkullu He has been interviewed by journalists Iñaki Guridi and Odei Esnaola in the programs “Egun On Euskadi” on ETB1 and “Faktoria” on Euskadi Irratia. In the interview that started with Lehendakari’s congratulations to the winner of the Bertsolaris Absolute Championship, Maialen Lujanbio, they discussed, among other things, the Osakidetza crisis, the economic situation and transfers.
Crisis in Osakidetza
When asked about the controversy that erupted in the OSI Donostialdea, Urkullu has acknowledged that “there may be communication problems” in the internal structure and was open to self-criticism. However, he has assured that “health care is guaranteed” and that the purpose of the reorganization proposed for Osakidetza “is not at all to save”. In addition, he specified that “more challenges” and “more resources” are being considered in the strategy they hold.
The lehendakari has emphasized that over the past ten years, the budget for health in the BAC has increased by 48%, while in other departments the average increase has been 40%. “No cutbacks are proposed. The service package and the strategic plan are the subject of discussion,” he says.
In this sense, he has considered that “reorganisations”, past and present, are “necessary”.
Economy
The lehendakari has also referred to the economic situation and, after acknowledging that the Basque economy has slowed, indicated that he sees no risk of a recession and recalled that the Basque government maintains its 2% growth forecast for 2023.
Likewise, it has also recognized that there is a real risk of impoverishment of a significant portion of the population due to inflation, which it considers to be one of its main concerns and objectives. “From the beginning, social cohesion has been my main goal. We must seek economic recovery to achieve a more cohesive and integrated society. Looking back, we can say that today we have a more cohesive society that lasts for a decade,” he said.
On the other hand, regarding the taxation of large fortunes, the lehendakari has specified that the Basque government “seems well” for this type of tax to be applied to large companies, although he has specified that it must be “for extraordinary benefits” . In this sense, Urkullu has made it clear that this type of decision “has its risks too”, something that “society needs to know”. “Society has to take into account that risks are also assumed. These types of companies can make different decisions for their investments and we have to guarantee that these companies continue here,” he said.
transfers
On the other hand, it has accused the government of Spain of not keeping its word about the upcoming transfers included in Gernika’s statute. According to the Lehendakari, “Madrid still has a year to go” to meet the promised calendar and “while we know that the remaining 25 powers will not be transferred, “there is room to move forward and take steps”
political future
Finally, Urkullu has not clarified whether he will run for the position again. “There are still 15 months to go and during that time, the municipal and provincial elections and the parliamentary elections will take place, among other things. For my part, I am focused on further building up the Basque Country with medium and long-term projects.” he concluded .
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/es_ES/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
Source: EITB
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
