Basque Government | |
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Eusko Jaurlaritza Gobierno Vasco | |
Overview | |
Established | Consejo General Vasco (1978-80) Gobierno de Euzkadi (1936-79) |
Polity | Basque Country |
Leader | Lehendakari |
Appointed by | King of Spain |
Responsible to | Basque Parliament |
Annual budget | €11.75 billion (2020) |
Headquarters | Vitoria-Gasteiz |
Website | www |
The Basque Government (Basque : Eusko Jaurlaritza, Spanish : Gobierno Vasco) is the governing body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. The head of the Basque government is known as the Lehendakari . The Lehendakari is appointed by the Basque Parliament every four years, after a regional election. Its headquarters are located in the Lakua district of Vitoria-Gasteiz in Álava.
The first Basque Government was created after the approval of the first Basque Statute of Autonomy on 1 October 1936, in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. It was headed by José Antonio Aguirre (EAJ-PNV) and was supported by a coalition of all the parties that fought the Nationalist forces in the Civil War: those comprising the Popular Front (PSOE, PCE, EAE-ANV and other parties that sided with the Second Spanish Republic). After the defeat of the Republic, the Basque Government survived in exile, chaired by Jesús María Leizaola after the death of Aguirre in 1960. This first Basque Government was formally disbanded after the approval of the current Statute of Autonomy in 1979, after the death of caudillo Francisco Franco.
Upon approval of the new Statute, the new Basque Government was created (1980), superseding the Basque General Council. Carlos Garaikoetxea was the first lehendakari of the new Government.
During the current legislative term, the Basque Government is chaired by Iñigo Urkullu, member of the Basque Nationalist Party, thanks to a government agreement with the Basque Socialist Party-Basque Left Party (PSE-EE). Urkullu got the back up of 41 parliamentarians (30 from the PNV and 11 from the PSE-EE) in his inauguration speech that took place in September 2020.
The composition of the Basque Government is established by the President of the Basque Country, also referred in Euskera as Lehendakari, who selects the counselors that will lead each of the Government departments. During the current legislative term the Government is compounded by eleven departments: Security; Labour and Employment; Public Governance and Self-Government; Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment; Economy and Treasury; Education; Territorial Planning, Housing and Transport; Health; Equality, Justice and Social Policies; Culture and Language Policy; and Tourism, Commerce and Consumption. [1] It has 78,000 employees. [2] [3]
Power held by the Basque country include but are not limited to:
The Basque Nationalist Party, officially Basque National Party in English, is a Basque nationalist and regionalist political party. The party is located in the centre of the political spectrum.
Juan José Ibarretxe Markuartu is a former president of the Basque Autonomous Community in Spain. Also a leading member of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) during the period, he held office from 2 January 1999 to 7 May 2009. Ibarretxe is an advocate of Basque independence by peaceful means.
The Basque Parliament is the legislative body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain and the elected assembly to which the Basque Government is responsible.
Carlos Garaikoetxea Urriza is a former politician from the Spanish Basque Country. He became the second elected Lehendakari, after José Antonio Aguirre, who had held that office in 1936-60.
José Antonio Ardanza Garro is a former Spanish politician that became the second elected Lehendakari (President of the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain after the approval of the Statute of Autonomy. He was in office between 1985 and 1999.
The 2005 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 17 April 2005, to elect the 8th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election.
The 2009 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 1 March 2009, to elect the 9th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with a regional election in Galicia. It would be the first time that the elections for two of the Spanish "historical regions"—namely, those comprising Andalusia, Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country itself—were held simultaneously. This would evolve into an unwritten convention in subsequent years, with Basque and Galician elections being held concurrently in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
The Basque Country, also called 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 2001 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 13 May 2001, to elect the 7th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election.
The 1994 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 23 October 1994, to elect the 5th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election.
The 1990 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 28 October 1990, to elect the 4th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election.
The 1986 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 30 November 1986, to elect the 3rd Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election.
The 2012 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 21 October 2012, to elect the 10th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with a regional election in Galicia. Lehendakari Patxi López announced the parliament's dissolution half a year ahead of schedule as a result of the People's Party (PP) withdrawing their support from his government, prompting Galician president Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who had been scheduling a snap election in Galicia to be held at some point throughout late 2012, to make his decision to have a simultaneous vote.
The 2016 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 25 September 2016, to elect the 11th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with a regional election in Galicia. Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu announced that the election would be held one month ahead of schedule, on 25 September 2016, based on the "climate of ungovernability" affecting national politics as a result of the ongoing Spanish government formation negotiations, intending to move the regional election as far away as possible from a possible new general election. This prompted Galician president Alberto Núñez Feijóo to hold the Galician regional election in the same date.
The 2020 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 12 July 2020, to elect the 12th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was initially scheduled for 5 April 2020 but was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was held simultaneously with a regional election in Galicia.
The 2024 Basque regional election will be held no later than Sunday, 11 August 2024, to elect the 13th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament will be up for election.
The 12th Basque Parliament is the current meeting of the Basque Parliament. Its membership was determined by the results of the 2020 regional election held on 12 July 2020. It met for the first time on 3 August 2020.
The Cross of the Tree of Gernika is a civil medal awarded in the Basque Country, Spain. It is awarded by the Basque Government to people "who have distinguished themselves in their services to the Basque Country in defense of its identity and the restoration of its personality; and generally in social, economic and cultural fields". It is the highest distinction awarded by the Basque Government.
Emilio Guevara Saleta is a Spanish politician. He served as Deputy General of Álava from 1979 to 1983, the first officeholder since the abolition of the post in 1877. Originally a member of the Basque Nationalist Party, he was expelled from the party in 2002. Since then, he has been an independent politician linked to the Socialist Party of the Basque Country.