Aitor Esteban: « We should be responsible and give budgets to the government » | Spain

Already in his luminous office of Sabin Etxea, the central headquarters of the PNV in Bilbao, Aitor Esteban lives with the acceleration of the numerous commitments of whom He has just assumed the presidency of the party. Esteban (Bilbao, 62 years) will maintain the political line of his predecessor, Andoni Ortuzar, from whom he extol his « brilliant trajectory » that led the PNV « to the highest levels of institutional power in its history. » But it promises internal changes in an organization that is still governed by statutes of almost a century ago. It will also remain the government interlocutor in Madrid, after The hot farewell that the Congress of Deputies taxed him. « I didn’t expect it, it was very exciting, » he confesses. « I have tried to do politics from my approaches, maintain a correct language and not pass the line of personal insult. »

Ask. There has been much talk about their style, as if people miss that in politics.

Answer. I have always noticed my predecessors in the party. They have had a style and I think that marks us. Sometimes I want to say other things, I confess it, but when I am in the tribune I know it would not be me, because I am the image and representation of the PNV at that time. My voters have chosen me and I have to represent them with dignity. In addition, to defend what you think you do not need to enter the personal insult. Moreover, you can hinder the pacts in the future, and politics are pacts.

P. Political fragmentation has not come badly to the PNV, it has given more prominence.

R. Not all the mountain is oregano. Sometimes, fragmentation prevents deeper agreements. We, in the moments when we had to put a little common sense, there we have been. Here we speak a lot of sense of state and, making it clear that we are what we are and that for the PNV our country is Euskadi, what we are never going to do is politics to harm the lives of others. Putting the State at risk, so yes, it doesn’t make much sense either. Sometimes, some agreements that could have been achieved among the great games even could have come well if we participate in them. That mantra is not true that the PNV is convenient for a lot of division in the hemicycle. We adapt to circumstances, but this is not a magnificent and pleasant situation.

P. The praise to their negotiating capacity also seem to denote that it is missing among the great parties.

R. In Spanish politics it is thought that your voters will not understand that you make an agreement with another political group unless it is very ideologically. If not, it seems that it will squeak, because there is still that of the two Spain that prevent certain lines. We have the ability to agree with the right and with the left. That gives you more possibility to advance your program. In politics, citizens are infantilized. I treat them as mature.

P. And now as president of the PNV, will it take a continuous line?

R. If we understand the defense of the principles of the party and where we have to move forward, there will be no difference. We have a way of doing what we have all learned, although each with our personality. We are going to renew statutes that are 1933 and I will try to make the game more agile. We have many things to adapt.

P. In Euskadi, there is the possibility of agreements between the PNV and The other great nationalist family?

R. First let’s talk. Nor are we going to think that others want to agree with us at all times and everywhere. Now we have a mandate of the polls, an institutional responsibility that forces us to govern well.

P. EH Bildu leader, Arnaldo Otegi, has claimed more boldness to advance self -government.

R. Does anyone believe that I am going to miss any opportunity? When there is now a boldness, in recent years they come to mind. They have come to our policy and have tried to politically fulminate the PNV. They have criticized the institutions and talked about the Basque Government … Now it turns out that we lack boldness. Well, thanks to the audacity and leadership of the PNV, with the collaboration of other parties, it has been possible to consolidate institutions and has been earned in self -government. And what has Bildu achieved? I like being bold, but you have to know when to be. We will continue to delve into our agreement with the president of the Spanish Government where Euskadi’s national recognition was collected and a modification of political status. I will not give up that. For now it is going well to get a broad agreement in Euskadi and then the difficulties of Madrid will come. You have to know how the patio is there: the majorities are very complicated, the decisions of the courts must be taken into account, the PP has an absolute majority in the Senate and has presented propositions so that the Gernika Statute is not completed … I hope that before the end of the year the Basque part is resolved with a broad agreement.

P. Is the achievement of a new political status to be a priority?

R. I have many priorities, but I don’t want to become obsessed with any. Let’s not focus on the shell and forget that the nut is inside. Andoni’s commitment to advance in self -government I pick it up from a thousand loves, because I’ve also been there. But if we think that self -government, the country, it is only framework, we will be wrong. From a nationalist vision, we are a divided country administratively and politically, even socially and ideologically. We have to make more country, generate synergies. And we have a language that in current globalization we must keep alive to recognize ourselves as a people. A country is not a name, a territory and institutions, they are principles, values ​​in which we all feel recognized above our differences.

P. Are you worried about the downward trend of the PNV in the face of the improvement of EH Bildu?

R. I have lost an election here being the candidate against Podemos (in the generals of 2016). Where is Pablo (Iglesias) now? And where is the PNV? He has also won the PSOE, or Bildu at the time. This is a long game.

P. It has been criticized that there was Little participation in the PNV renewal process.

R. I assure you that it was quite superior to that of ERC. In our case, many more people voted. It is true that it was less than 50%, but they were more people than in the processes we have seen from other political parties.

P. Do they have a danger of generational disconnection?

R. We have a lot of quarry and young people in important positions. I don’t have that fear. We are 130 years old and here we are, quite healthy and with young people.

P. Should Pedro Sánchez present budgets?

R. I should honestly. It is true that the absolute predisposition to negotiate that we have We are not the same as others. We should all be responsible and give government to the government. We have to make that effort. In full uncertainty for US tariffsputting us in an electoral process would not be good for the country. The sense of state is also measured in this. A party cannot be thinking continuously about the following elections. I would ask those who support the investiture (from Sánchez) to take those things into account. I also tell the PP and Feijóo ..

P. Are the bridges with the PP broken?

R. No, they have never been, another thing is that There have been moments of tension. If they tell you that the Gernika Statute or changing the Sports Law must not be fulfilled to load the Basque ball teams … that’s fine, a little respect.

P. With the Feijóo team things seem complicated.

R. Feijóo thought that the votes of the PNV were enough to be president. But, of course, they needed those of Vox. We already said it in an electoral campaign and we told them: « Look, even if I give me independence … » (laughs) for principles we were not going to do something with Vox. He did not understand it and took it badly. They made us very interesting offers and we would have liked to accept them, but we couldn’t. This is a match that has 130 years of history and some principles.

P. The Spanish right has been closed to any demand for revision of the territorial model. Is it possible to change that?

R. If the PP is in the government without Vox and needs the help of Catalans or Basques, surely the attitude would be different. The ideal would be for the two great parties to be aware that there is a national problem in Catalonia and in Euskadi and have to give an answer. And make pedagogy among the Spanish population and participate in a joint agreement. Do I see it possible? Well no. If the PP needs the nationalists and we make some approaches that respond to the needs of this population, knowing what shoes the other part is, perhaps the PP could move. There I would like the PSOE to play the typical Spanish policy of ‘If I am not, I take care of everything’. The PP does always do it, but I expect a little more from the PSOE.

P. Why this resistance to change The Law of Official Secrets that you have claimed for years? The fight against ETA, 23-f…?

R. I think there are many fears, because they don’t even know what is there. I am convinced that many papers were burned. This in any country with democratic standards would be disclassified already. I am not looking for something concrete, I demand a standard, democratic law. What is happening is unpresentable. When I ask for documentation … everything is secret. There are many fears and I imagine that pressures from other areas.