De jeltzale will be president of the institution for the fourth time, thanks to an agreement between PNV and PSE-EE. The agreement transfers the First Vice-Presidency to the PSE-EE and the First Secretariat to the Yeltzales, so that both have a majority in the body. EH Bildu will have the second vice-chairmanship and secretariat.
Eider duck Garaikoetxea O. | EITB media
No surprises and lots of new faces. Thus, the plenary session of the Basque Parliament was held on Tuesday, marking the start of the 13th legislative term. As planned, Bakartxo Tejeria (PNV) has been re-elected as Speaker of the House, a position she will hold for the fourth consecutive term, as she is the person who has been Speaker for the longest time.
Tejeria was declared with an absolute majority (39 votes), thanks to an agreement between jeltzals and socialists for to secure the majority in the governing body of the institution. Socialist Susana Corcuera becomes first vice-president, while Ion Aiartza (PNV) becomes first secretary.
EH Bildu gets the remaining two (Eba Blanco, as second vice president and Eraitz Sáez de Egilaz, as second secretary). PP, Sumar and Vox are left out of the table.
In her first intervention after her re-election, Tejeria has called for consensus “big deals“At a time when individualism and populism haunt us, the defense of the common good must be placed above party interests and for this dialogue and agreement are essential,” he stressed.
The Jeltzale leader also appealed to “formalize and enable an update and expansion of the present Basque self-government“by an “agreement with the state that meets the majority demands of the Euskadi parliament.”
In Tejería’s words: “we must modernize our self-government and materialize a new status of relationship with the state. It is inevitable to delve deeply into the debate on the territorial model of the state and the effective recognition of its plurinational character. .”
Two positions for PNV and EH Bildu, and one for the PSE-EE
The constituent session started with the call of the 75 parliamentarians, in order of accreditation. After the procedure, the Age Board was established, which is responsible for conducting the hearing and ordering the three votes.
Tejeria, without a rival for the presidency, has received the support of the absolute majority of the Chamber, something that has also happened with the rest of the positions agreed upon by Yeltzales and the Socialists (Susana Corcuera and Ion Aiartza). EH Bildu has voted for its candidates Eba Blanco and Eraitz Sáez from Egilaz.
Political leaders, among the guests, and many new faces
Acting Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu and the rest of the outgoing government’s advisors watched the plenary from their seats.
In the box of guests, the former Minister of the Interior, Juan María Atutxa, was featured; Ramiro González and Eider Mendoza, general deputies of Álava and Gipuzkoa; including the president of the Navarrese parliament, Unai Hualde, the leader of Jeltzale, Andoni Ortuzar or the head of the list for Sumar, Alba García.
The newly formed Basque parliament renews almost half of its parliamentarians. 14 of the 27 MPs from EH Bildu are “new faces”, and 11 of the 27 from the PNV are also making their debut in Parliament. This is the case with jeltzale Joseba Diez Antxustegi, who will also serve as the group’s spokesperson, replacing veteran Joseba Egibar. The socialist is also making his debut as a parliamentarian Denis Itxasoand although he was already a parliamentarian in 2016, this term marks the return of the president of the Basque PP, Javier de Andrés.
The Chamber has a majority of female faces: there will be 39 female parliamentarians, compared to 36 male representatives. The board also has a female majority: four women and only one man.
Full of incompatibilities
This Thursday, the second plenary session of the legislature will take place, with the only agenda item being the appointment of the Provisional Commission on Incompatibilities of Parliamentarians, which will submit its advice to the plenary session on May 23, a day before it starts campaigning for the European Championship on June 9.
At that plenary meeting, the President will announce the date of the next plenary meeting, that of the investiture of the lehendakariwhich will take place in mid-June, expectedly after the European elections.
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.
