General Assemblies (Basque Country)

Last updated
General Assemblies

Batzar Nagusiak
Juntas Generales
Type
Type
Houses Unicameral
Seats51

The General Assemblies [1] (Spanish: Juntas Generales; Basque: Batzar Nagusiak) is the name of the legislative body (legislature) of the Spanish Basque territories of Biscay, Gipuzkoa, Alava and Navarre, and the elected assemblies to which the Government of each territory is responsible. The northern, French Basque Country, had its own regional assemblies until the Napoleonic period.

Contents

The 4 legislative bodies

The four legislative bodies of the Assembly are as follows:

Historical development

Little is known about the historical background of these local and regional institutions prior to the 14th century. [2] Broadly speaking, two historical periods can be distinguished:

  1. The period from the 14th century to 1876 when the Juntas Generales were abolished
  2. The period from 1979 to the present when the Juntas Generales were reinstated.

14th century to 1876

This legislative bodies go back to the 14th century. [2] They were part of an early form of democratic institutions. At the local level, the heads of households (male or female) would meet on Sundays after church at the church door in a meeting called elizate (or anteiglesia in Spanish) to debate and decide on local issues. An elizate in turn would elect someone to represent the local community at the assembly (juntas), which existed from the district level right up to the General Assemebly (Juntas Generales). [2]

After the First Carlist War, the fueros were much weakened and eventually fully abolished after the Third Carlist War in 1876. [2] Although the Spanish Government of the time established the conciertos económicos involving low taxes, protective tariffs and self-collection of taxes, Madrid demolished Basque institutions including the Juntas Generales. [2] : 23 

Since 1979

Following the Spanish transition to democracy in the 1970s the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country re-instated the Juntas Generales in Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Álava in 1979. [2]

Parliament of Navarre

Unlike the other Basque provinces, Navarre had evolved into the Kingdom of Navarre and had developed to a large extent feudal traditions and institutions in line with other European kingdoms of the time. As a result, it was largely excluded from the development of such early democratic institutions. [2] However, the royal authority was but one layer of the governmental institutions, and the latter—diputacion or government council, "The Three States" (Cortes) —were based on the Navarrese charters stemming from similar values, traditions and institutions to the other Basque regions.

It did have a charter however, the 1841 Ley Paccionada de Fueros which Navarre managed to protect when the fueros of Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Álava were abolished in 1879. [3]

General Assemblies of Gipuzkoa

General Assemblies of Biscay

The Casa de Juntas in Gernika-Lumo. Gernika batzar nagusiak1.jpg
The Casa de Juntas in Gernika-Lumo.

Both historically and currently, the Juntas Generales of Biscay are based in Gernika-Lumo, at the famous Casa de Juntas. Prior to the abolition of the foral laws and the Juntas Generales of Biscay, the Basque señoríos met under the Oak of Gernika to swear they would respect the ancient laws of Biscay. [2]

Of all historical Juntas Generales, this is perhaps the most widely known and important one as it was in Gernika the Spanish monarchs were required to swear to uphold the Basque freedoms since the incorporation of Biscay and Gipuzkoa into the Kingdom of Castile from 1200 onwards. [2]

The modern era

The modern Juntas Generales of Biscay were re-instated in 1979 and form a unicameral assembly. Its 51 (90 in 1979 only) members, the batzarkideak (in Basque) or apoderados (in Spanish), are elected by the people of Biscay every four years alongside the municipal elections.

Their duties are to:

The party political composition since 1979 has been as follows:

197919831987199119951999200320072011201520192023
EAJ-PNV 402616212017222322232523
EH Bildu / Bildu12111015
PSE-EE 14131212101011149788
PP / AP —4149101088423
Elkarrekin Bizkaia / Podemos 662
EB-B / EPK 3———4133—
Aralar —1—
EA 741451
ANV / EH / HB 19610859—1
ICV-EHE2—
EE 4242
CDS / UCD 10—1
Total905151515151515151515151

1Since the 1995 elections the EE has been part of the PSE (PSOE).

The president of the Juntas Generales of Biscay has hailed from the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) since 1987:

LegislatureLehendakariaParty
I. (1979–1983)?
II. (1983–1987)?
III. (1987–1991) Antxon Aurre Elorrieta EAJ-PNV
IV. (1991–1995) Antxon Aurre Elorrieta EAJ-PNV
V. (1995–1999) Aitor Esteban Bravo EAJ-PNV
VI. (1999–2003) Aitor Esteban Bravo EAJ-PNV
VII. (2003–2007) Ana Madariaga Ugarte EAJ-PNV
VIII. (2007–2011) Ana Madariaga Ugarte EAJ-PNV

General Assemblies of Álava

French Basque Country

While they were overall less widely known due to the northern districts— Labourd, Lower Navarre, Soule —falling behind in terms of economic development, [2] they also had assemblies that were largely independent of those of the French state and held charters - the fors, the northern equivalent of the fueros. [2] Their powers and sovereignty were gradually curtailed by the French Crown, notably in 1620 and 1659-1660 following the Treaty of the Pyrenees, but remained in place and relevant (e.g. the Biltzar of Labourd) about decisions affecting regional life until the Napoleonic period (1790).

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biscay</span> Province of Spain

Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Vascongadas, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basque nationalism</span> Nationalist movement

Basque nationalism is a form of nationalism that asserts that Basques, an ethnic group indigenous to the western Pyrenees, are a nation and promotes the political unity of the Basques, today scattered between Spain and France. Since its inception in the late 19th century, Basque nationalism has included Basque independence movements.

<i>Fuero</i> Spanish legal term and concept

Fuero, Fur, Foro or Foru is a Spanish legal term and concept. The word comes from Latin forum, an open space used as a market, tribunal and meeting place. The same Latin root is the origin of the French terms for and foire, and the Portuguese terms foro and foral; all of these words have related, but somewhat different meanings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country of 1979</span> Spanish legal document

The Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country of 1979, widely known as the Statute of Gernika, is the legal document organizing the political system of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country' which includes the historical territories of Alava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. It forms the region into one of the autonomous communities envisioned in the Spanish Constitution of 1978. The Statute was named "Statute of Gernika" after the city of Gernika, where its final form was approved on 29 December 1978. It was ratified by referendum on 25 October 1979, despite the abstention of more than 40% of the electorate. The statute was accepted by the lower house of the Spanish Parliament on November 29 and the Spanish Senate on December 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Basque Country</span> Territory in northern Spain

The Southern Basque Country refers to the Basque territories within Spain as a unified whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizate</span>

An elizate, is an early form of local government in the Basque Country which was particularly common in Biscay but also existed in the other provinces. The terms elizate and elexate literally translate as "church door". The Spanish term anteiglesia translates as "before [the] church" or "parvise".

Basque <i>señoríos</i>

The Basque jaurerriak or señoríos were a series of feudal territories that came into existence in the Basque Country in the Middle Ages. The lordships were hereditary land titles over territories of variable size under the name of a lord or count. The title and lands were often recognized by kings to Basque chieftains. It is loosely related to the concept of manorialism as the king had to swear allegiance to the Foral law in exchange for military assistance from the Basque chiefs, who were considered sovereign over their own lands and people. The Basque señoríos generally conformed vassal states of larger kingdoms; most of them started as domains of the Kingdom of Pamplona but were conquered and attached to the Kingdom of Castile by the 13th century. The Basque term jaurreria means "the lord's country" and it is usually used to refer to these feudal territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basque Country (autonomous community)</span> Autonomous community of Spain

The Basque Country, also called the Basque Autonomous Community, is an autonomous community in northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa. It also surrounds an enclave called Treviño, which belongs to the neighboring autonomous community of Castile and León.

The Economic Agreement is a juridical instrument that regulates the taxation and financial relations between the General Administration of the Kingdom of Spain and the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lordship of Biscay</span> Lordship in the Iberian Peninsula between c.1040 and 1876

The Lordship of Biscay was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between c.1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. One of the Basque señoríos, it was a territory with its own political organization, with its own naval ensign, consulate in Bruges and customs offices in Balmaseda and Urduña, from the 11th century until 1876, when the Juntas Generales were abolished. Since 1379, when John I of Castile became the Lord of Biscay, the lordship was integrated into the Crown of Castile, and eventually the Kingdom of Spain.

The constitution of Spain of 1978 allowed for the nationalities and regions that make up the Spanish nation to accede to self-government and be constituted as autonomous communities, which became the first-order political and territorial division of the Spanish territory. Both the process whereby the nationalities and regions were to accede to self-government and the scope of competences that were to be devolved or transferred from the central government, were intended to be asymmetrical in nature.

Basque civil law is the civil law partially applicable in the Spanish part of the Basque Country.

The end of Basque home rule or fueros in Spain was a process coming to a head in the period extending from the First Carlist War (1833-1840) to the aftermath of the Third Carlist War (1876-1878). It brought to an end the status of sovereignty coupled with allegiance to the Crown of Castile held by the different Basque territories for centuries. In the French Basque Country, home rule was abruptly suppressed during the French Revolution.

The 1983 Basque foral elections were held on Sunday, 8 May 1983, to elect the 2nd General Assemblies of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. All 153 seats in the three General Assemblies were up for election. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The 1991 Basque foral elections were held on Sunday, 26 May 1991, to elect the 4th General Assemblies of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. All 153 seats in the three General Assemblies were up for election. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The 1995 Basque foral elections were held on Sunday, 28 May 1995, to elect the 5th General Assemblies of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. All 153 seats in the three General Assemblies were up for election. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The 2003 Basque foral elections were held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 7th General Assemblies of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. All 153 seats in the three General Assemblies were up for election. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The 2011 Basque foral elections were held on Sunday, 22 May 2011, to elect the 9th General Assemblies of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. All 153 seats in the three General Assemblies were up for election. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The 2015 Basque foral elections were held on Sunday, 24 May 2015, to elect the 10th General Assemblies of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. All 153 seats in the three General Assemblies were up for election. The elections were held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The 1979 Basque foral elections were held on Tuesday, 3 April 1979, to elect the 1st General Assemblies of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. All 228 seats in the three General Assemblies were up for election. The elections were held simultaneously with local elections all throughout Spain.

References

  1. ↑ The official name of the legislature/parliament is "General Assemblies" (plural). The name is plural, although it is a single legislature/parliament (in Spanish it is "JuntaS", not "Junta").
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Trask, L. The History of Basque Routledge: 1997 ISBN   0-415-13116-2
  3. ↑ Torrealdi, JM El Libro Negro del Euskera Ttarttalo: 1998 ISBN   84-8091-395-9
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.