News, May 2005

Basque elections produce stalemate

18th April. The regional elections held yesterday in the Basque Country resulted in a stalemate.It has been a political upset for almost every party. Virtually no stable majority is workable with the current arrangement of seats without considerable compromise. The conservative parties on both sides of the nationalist/ costitutionalist divide lost 4 seats each. The socialist party gained five and PCTV gained all the EH seats plus two more. The other seat went to minority party Aralar, an offshoot of EH, but dedicated to the peaceable, democratic achievement of its aims.

N.B. PCTV is not some technological revolution, but a revolutionary communist party! More about the parties in the /comment section.

In the current circumstances, a real stalemate has come about. A working majority of 38 is almost impossible except in two cases. The governing PNV now has to decide whether to attempt to go it alone, relying on the support of other parties on specific issues or to make an alliance. To make another alliance, as was previously the case, with apparent sympathisers of violence, (now the PCTV) will not go down well in Madrid. But neither will a coalition with 'outsiders' (PSE) go down well with all at home. In the past, the PNV held an uneasy alliance with the Socialists, but much water has gone under the bridge since then. Zapatero has also at this stage ruled out such an option. On the other hand, such an alliance would create a stable majority and allow renegotiation of the Lehendakari's Autonomy proposals a workable proposition, acceptable in Madrid. No other options would produce the stable majority necessary. We will see how the acting Lehendakari (president), Ibarretxe, resolves this dilemma.

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Sources: TVE, El Mundo, ...