Pradales (PNV) affirms that "no one is going to want to agree" with EH Bildu as long as "they do not pass the ethics subject"

Otxandiano asks that "the drive for change" be realized in the next Basque Government and Andueza agrees to resign if he agrees with EH Bildu

BILBAO, 17 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The candidate for lehendakari of the PNV, Imanol Pradales, has stated that "no one is going to want to agree" with EH Bildu as long as "he does not pass the ethics subject", and the candidate for lehendakaritza of the sovereigntist coalition, Pello Otxandiano, has assured that he sees "a drive for change" in Euskadi, which he hopes will materialize in the next Basque Government.

For his part, the PSE-EE candidate, Eneko Andueza, has insisted that he will not agree on a Government with EH Bildu, and has promised to resign if he does not keep his word, while calling on the president of the Basque PP, Javier of Andrés - who has questioned his statement - that he resign, if he complies with it. Furthermore, the candidates of Elkarrekin Podemos, Miren Gorrotxategi, and that of Sumar, Alba García, have opted for a future Basque Government that joins the left of Euskadi.

This was stated in the first electoral debate in Spanish held at ETB, in which the seven candidates for lehendakari from the parties with parliamentary representation participated: Imanol Pradales (PNV), Pello Otxandiano (EH Bildu), Eneko Andueza (PSE- EE), Javier de Andrés (PP), Miren Gorrotxategi (Elkarrekin Podemos-Alianza Verde), Alba García (Sumar) and Amaia Martínez (Vox).

Pradales has assured that we will have to wait until April 22 "to see what photograph comes out and to talk about governability in this country." In any case, he considers that "the problem that Sortu and EH Bildu have is that, as long as they do not pass the ethics subject, no one will want to agree with them."

This reference by the Jeltzale candidate to the past of the Abertzale left has occurred after the controversy sparked by Otxandiano's statement in a radio interview that ETA was "an armed group."

Imanol Pradales has pointed out that, furthermore, what is at issue in Euskadi "is not who you want to govern with, but what you want to govern for." "What is the country model that you have in mind, and where is there consensus and where is there no consensus? I am clear that on the 22nd I will call all the political forces of this country, without exclusions, and I will seek an agreement with those political groups that agree on the why," he noted.

The PNV candidate has stressed that "Basque society is plural" and he, if he is lehendakari, "will weave agreements to govern for everyone, for nationalists and non-nationalists." "We need a strong majority for a strong government to prevent us from throwing away everything we have achieved and to continue building this country and be proud of it," he added, to reiterate that "with things like eating and living together we cannot it's played".

Eneko Andueza, for his part, has reiterated that, if it is in the hands of the PSE-EE, EH Bildu will not access the Basque Government. "I have said it actively and passively. We are not going to make any EH Bildu candidate lehendakari," he stressed.

In response to De Andrés (PP), who has questioned whether the socialists will not agree with EH Bildu, he has made a bet: "If I do not agree with EH Bildu the day after the elections, you resign. If I do not comply with my word, I am the one who resigns. I keep my word."

The popular candidate then said that he sees Andueza as "very tender" with Pello Otxandiano after having been "very rude" to him on that same day for saying that ETA has been "an armed group." "Here you are talking and getting along. You (the socialists) depend on Mr. Otxandiano in Congress, and you will do what is best for the Sánchez Government," Javier de Andrés remarked.

These words from the president of the Basque PP have provoked the anger of Eneko Andueza, who has assured that he has always been "very blunt with ETA's violence." "I remind you that I spent nine years of my life, the best, under escort. Please, I ask that, when you speak in those terms, you do so with respect and recognition of everything that so many socialists have done for the peace and freedom that, among others, you enjoy," he stressed.

In any case, he has insisted that it will be the PSE-EE that, "fortunately, after Sunday, will decide, not only the next Government, but what policies" that Executive will make.

The EH Bildu candidate, Pello Otxandiano, has stated that, if EH Bildu wins, he will call the PNV, the PSE-EE and the confederal left-wing parties to propose a dialogue. "We need to collect a popular mandate that proposes advancing greater levels of sovereignty and more egalitarian and progressive public policies," he added.

Regarding these issues, he said that he will propose "a medium and long-term country project." "Because you cannot govern in this 21st century without a solid project that has a long-term vision for the country, which is what is happening today," she indicated.

In this sense, he has elaborated on his idea that "today the governments of the country's main institutions (formed by PNV and PSE) do not add citizen will, but partisan interests." "I observe a drive for change, which calls for breaking with inertia and, therefore, we need a Basque Government that gives channel to that drive for change," he added, to support an Executive "that implements 21st century policies and opens the Windows".

Javier de Andrés, from the PP, has assured that PNV, PSE-EE and EH Bildu "always vote together, they govern together, they elect themselves together, all of them have nominated Sánchez's government and all of them have also nominated the mayor of Pamplona."

"Really, they are in a permanent concession and the only thing they share is who is going to be the head of that institution. What we really want is to influence and decide to focus Basque politics because undoubtedly everything you are doing takes us towards that Pedro Sánchez circle that leads a very radical left in Europe," he stated.

Both the Elkarrekin Podemos candidate, Miren Gorrotxategi, and the Sumar candidate, Alba García, have advocated for a left-wing Basque Government, and have reproached the PSE-EE for governing with the PNV and seeking to reissue that Executive. In fact, García has considered that, before leaving home in the morning, Andueza has already made an agreement with the jeltzales.

"We believe that the PNV will have to go to the opposition for a while. There are two models of government for Euskadi: one with the PNV and another without it. One that changes things and another that leaves them as they are. Euskadi needs fresh air and new ideas. And this depends on the strength that the confederal left, Sumar, has in the next Basque Parliament," he assured.

For his part, Gorrotxategi has criticized the socialists and EH Bildu so much that, despite the fact that "the contrast of their models" with the PNV has been seen in the debate, both intend to govern with the jeltzale formation.

"Euskadi has a left-wing social majority and deserves a left-wing government, so what seems impossible to others seems necessary to us. We need the left-wing social majority to be reflected in the next government of Euskadi," he highlighted.

Finally, Amaya Martínez, from Vox, has said that these next elections are about whether the next Government is made up of separatists or separatists and socialists. Furthermore, he stated that "it is inadmissible" for a person who is running for lehendakari, like that of EH Bildu, "to say that ETA was not a terrorist group", and he recalled that they proposed that EH Bildu be outlawed, to which the The rest of the parties opposed it.