how the basques voted & "not voted"

international | politics / elections | news report Monday April 18, 2005 11:59 by scorchio

its not a result that clarifies anything.

There is no clear majority, with 100% of votes counted,abstention has increased in all three provinces of the Basque Autonomous Communty.

Bizkaia 31%
Gipuzkoa 31.3%
Araba 30.2%
an average of 31% "non-voting" in contrast to 21% in the 2001 elections.

The parties:-

PNV 29 seats down 4 from 33.
PP 15 seats down 4 from 19
PSE-EE
(PSOE) 18 seats up 5 from 13.
EB 3 seats no change.
EHAK 9 seats (party was not formed in 2001)
Arala 1 seat no change.

number and % of votes-

PNV/EA -463,873 votes - 38.6% down from 42.7%
PP - 208,795 votes 17.3% down from 23.1%
PSE-EE
(PSOE) 272,429votes 22.6% up from 17.9%
EB 64,931 votes 5.4% down from 5.5%
EHAK 150,188 votes 12.5% (first election)
Aralar 28,001 votes 2.3%

What this means:-

The Lehandakari has lost his majority, and most probably his plan is stopped.
The combined seats of PSE-EE and PP [the pan-spanish front] are larger than the previous
"tripartite" government of the coalition of PNV/EA and EB.

The newly formed communist block which fielded candidates of the militant independence tradition has 12.5%, 9 seats and currently occupies "the kingmaker" position. EHAK has increased the largest share of votes which the illegal HB ever held and that "corner" of the parliament now has 9 as opposed to 7 previous seats. They will most probably continue to call for full independence for the region and the "basque nation without state" which stradles the pyrennes between France and Spain.

The PSE-EE (the basque equivalent of the PSOE) as the local version of the ruling central government are opposed to the PNV plan for increased independence have improved their share. On the grounds of unitary state socialism they oppose the seperation of one of the Spanish's states richest regions from the poorer south an argument they apply to Catalonia as well.

At first glance the results will be seen favourably therefore by the Zapatero government in Madrid.

The PP have seen their representation reduced, the party sits in Europe with the Irish PDs, and its "unionist-pan spanish nationalist vote" has reduced by almost 5% their confrontational unionist style can not be too easliy dismissed however and their further use of radical tactics in their incessant opposition to the independence movements who are thier "natural enemies".

Abstention has increased by 10% in all three provinces. The 3 provinces have very different political profiles. This could be true political abstention or just apathy or jolly good weather.

Information from the Basque Government on province by province and municipal counts 2005 and count 2001

http://www.elecciones.net/caste/listado/listado1_1.htm

Reacton from locals in english suggest that now a "3 way" process of dialogue must begin between the central Government, the centre right nationalists of the Lehandakari and the militant left (who have returned by loophope to the democratic process)-
http://www.berria.info/english/ikusi.php?id=1384

background to the vote with explanatory notes on the parties and their orientation.

http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69431

Meanwhile 2500 people demonstrated in madrid of the falangist civil war tradition in opposition to any change of the "unitary nature" of Spain yesterday, only hours after the annual celebrations by left and republican groups in Madrid of the 73rd anniversary of the 2nd republic. Which goes to show that even in Madrid the old traditions live on and people can get really upset with each other.

see - http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69411

The reform of the Constitution is very much on the table in Spain, and not only effects the Basques, the Catalans also play a part, and other regions.
At heart are questions of economic contribution to the central budget, recognition of "nations" rather than regions, and so on.
The Catalan approach to constitutional reform has been very different all along, without a recent armed conflict problem, perhaps it could afford to develop differently. The reaction of the catalan independence party therefore is interesting, they have shared the task of governing Catalonia with the PSOE and marxist greens for two years now, and are constantly seeking a "pact" with the central madrid government. and their online newspapers dispatched people up north to have a chat with the nieghbours. They note that the EHAK party is now "kingmaker" but also muse that this is not really a cuase for celebration.
As I somewhat jokingly commented a few weeks ago, the militant basque independence tradition has been illegalised again and again throughout all its name changes for "ties to ETA". Those ties being financial, organisational, membership etc. Then a little commie party no-one had heard of, said "hey we'll get you round the ban - we've not ties to ETA vote for us". The joke was - "its a small commie party as commie parties go, sure you could fill a snug in a comfy pub and call it a commie party and no-one would have difficulty believing you".
Well now that little commie party has 9 seats in government and 150,188 votes, and the workers' supreme collective with the megaphone in the snug at the back of the comfy pub, must be thinking to itself, -
(who are we really - ¿now? didn't we always want new members?)