Which parties rule in the Basque councils? These are the main unknowns

City councils will head into constitutional plenary sessions this Saturday with few unknowns, as the majority of mayors have been predetermined thanks to absolute majorities obtained in the polls on 28M or through both investiture and governance pacts.

From the outset, there are absolute majorities in 184 of the 251 cities in the Autonomous Community, and in many of the remaining 67 consistories agreements have been made through various formulas: the reissue of the PNV-PSE stability pact, the sum of EH Bildu and Elkarrekin Podemos , the PP’s “free” votes to prevent the Abertzale coalition from governing and the position of the independents, which has tipped the balance in several places.

So these are the biggest unknowns that occur for this Saturday:

ALAVA

– Vitoria-Gasteiz: Everything indicates that the socialist Maider Etxebarria will become the first mayor of the city thanks to the PNV-PES pact and the announced support of a PP who continues to look suspiciously at Laguardia and Labastida, where she is and claims to be the first force can rule. In addition, the hours of the inauguration sessions prevent a possible “vendetta” of the population in the capital of Álava if they do not reach the mayorship in their strongholds, as the plenary sessions of Laguardia and Labastida will take place in Vitoria after the vote.

– The guard: The PP has been the party with the most votes, but if the PNV runs for office, it will receive the support of EH Bildu and take over the mayor’s office. The jeltzale formation has not yet announced what it will do.

– labastida: A post on the Facebook page of Labastida’s PNV surprised this afternoon by suggesting that they are considering submitting a candidacy, disobeying the ABB’s decision not to run for mayor after the sharp loss of votes in the municipality and the growth of the PP. However, sources from the PNV of Álava have assured that the FB account of the jeltzale formation in this town in Álava has been ‘hacked’ and that the decision not to apply is upheld.

BISCAYE

– Bermeo: The PNV is the first force, but it has ensured that EH Bildu and the neighborhood platform Guzan have reached an agreement to award the mayoralty to the nationalist coalition. However, the parties involved have not yet confirmed this point and confirm that they continue to negotiate.

– Gernika: EH Bildu won 28 million with 6 councilors, followed by the party of the historic mayor José María Gorroño and the PNV, both with 5. It seems unlikely that Gorroño will retain the leadership of the city council, but it is unknown whether his platform that will make an application or support another.

GIPUZKOA

– Azkoitia: The neighborhood platform Azkoitia Bai Elkarrekin, third force, has decided not to support either the PNV or EH Bildu and will submit its own candidacy, which would in principle be awarded by the municipal council to the jeltzale formation because it is the list with the most votes , although Abertzale’s coalition could prevent it if he decides to support Azkoitia Bai.

NAVARRA

– Pamplona: Everything indicates that UPN will keep the mayor’s office, as the PSN has refused to support EH Bildu. During the negotiations between the forces, a third way was put on the table, a consensus candidate among the progressive forces that could be Koldo Martínez (Geroa Bai), but this option seems unlikely to succeed.