Interview with Arnaldo Otegi, general coordinator of EH Bildu on Radio Euskadi, today July 9, 2024

The general secretary of EH Bildu, Arnaldo Otegi, has assessed “the forms” of the new lehendakari and, “without interpreting this as a criticism of the previous lehendakari”, sees “substantial differences” when Pradales points out that in Osakidetza “we have to do things”, when he speaks “about country pacts” and when he “opens the round to the unions”.

In this sense, he hoped that there would be “a rectification” in the “neoliberal policies” of PNV and PSE-EE “that have brought us to the level of privatization and insecurity of Osakidetza.”

In an interview for the “Boulevard” program on Radio Euskadi, he was optimistic about reaching a country agreement on Osakidetza. “If there is a country agreement on Osakidetza, it will not be 100% to the liking of EH Bildu, but I think I know that it has to move forward. The point is that I believe that it cannot get worse. This has to improve.”

To CataloniaOtegi hopes that an agreement will be reached on unique financing for Catalonia in exchange for investing in Salvador Illa and avoiding an electoral rerun. According to him, it would be ‘good’ for Catalonia and also mean ‘some stability’.

In a different order he was asked about the change in direction of the Gogora Institute that Socialist MP Alberto Alonso has taken on in the new Basque government. Otegi has said that the pro-independence left is ready to take new steps, but asks all parties to assume their responsibilities. In this sense, he has asked for the Institute of Memory, Coexistence and Human Rights to be managed in “constructive” terms and not in terms of “confrontation”.

Finally, Otegi believes that national recognition of the Basque people is a “necessary” condition for progress in the fight against the Basque Country. self-governmentOtegi has indicated that in addition to being desirable, an agreement is also possible.