The general secretary of the PSE-EE, Eneko Andueza, has emphasized that the future autonomy statute of Euskadi must be configured as "a statute of rights, not of identities" and has reiterated that "it will be constitutional and inclusive or it will not be, and it will be the result of an agreement among different parties or it will not be a country project."
At the beginning of his speech in the General Policy plenary of the Basque Parliament, which takes place this Thursday, he has stressed that "Euskadi does not need noise or diagnoses, it needs decisions" because problems "are solved by governing."
The socialist leader and spokesperson in the Chamber has highlighted the management of the Executive that he shares with the PNV, noting that, halfway through the legislature, there is still "room for improvement," although there are also "results." After highlighting the "stability" provided by the coalition Government, he pointed out that "nothing happens" by admitting the discrepancies between both partners and has guaranteed that the PSE will continue to be "a loyal partner," but also "demanding."
"We will support the Government when it advances. We will ask it to correct when necessary. And we will mark our position when our priorities are at stake," he has warned, demanding "useful politics" that "does not hide behind flags, that does not turn differences into trenches and that does not confuse firmness with tension."
He has emphasized that the future of the autonomous community "does not depend on who shouts more or who waves more flags," but on concrete decisions, which for the socialists must be aimed at "improving people's lives, strengthening public services, and making Euskadi a fairer, more prosperous, and more cohesive society." "Against the paralysis of complaint, against the diagnosis that never turns into decision and against the national priority when it displaces the social priority, we stand firm," he has added.
The leader of the PSE has questioned the PNV and EH Bildu about "what they want a new Statute for" and has specified that their goal is for it to serve to "safeguard rights," reinforce public services, guarantee equality, and expand the decision-making capacity of the Basque institutions. "We want a statute of rights, not a statute of identities. A statute for coexistence, not for division. A statute to improve people's lives, not to fuel a permanent competition between nationalisms," he has insisted.
In this same line, he has reiterated that the new legal framework "will be constitutional or it will not be, it will be inclusive or it will not be, it will be the result of an agreement between different parties or it will not be a country project." At the same time, he has defended that "Euskadi does not win when it turns the Government of Spain into a permanent enemy," but "when it achieves investments, transfers, funds, infrastructures, and useful agreements for the citizens." In his opinion, "institutional collaboration does not diminish self-government. It makes it more effective."
Andueza has emphasized that the PSE is not going to "allow each crisis to be used to fuel a territorial competition" and has specifically referred to the "migration crisis," which, he said, "is not resolved from Ajuria Enea, nor from a rally, nor from a slogan. It is resolved by coordinating administrations, protecting rights, and offering human and effective responses."
At another moment in his speech, he has stressed that "Euskadi is not the property of nationalists," but "of everyone," and has explained that, in his view, "coexistence consists of accepting that no one has a monopoly on the feeling of belonging. It consists of being able to speak Basque, wear the shirt of Spain or Colombia, defend leftist ideas, cheer for Eibar or any other team, and share a common project without having to ask for permission."
He has expressed his concern about "the breakdown of consensuses" regarding Basque and has reminded that promoting this language "is a democratic obligation" and that using it "to exclude" is "an irresponsibility." Therefore, he has argued that the linguistic requirements in the Administration should be adjusted "to the real functions of each position," applied with proportionality, and guarantee "reasonable opportunities" for access to citizenship.
"When demands are raised without sufficient justification, it can close the door to thousands of people. That does not strengthen a language, it weakens equality," he has warned, emphasizing that Basque "needs affection, support, and opportunities," and not to become "an instrument of division." In his opinion, "care must be taken with the society that some imagine, which may not correspond to the real society." He has reproached PNV and EH Bildu that "they sometimes share an identity concern that they wish they had with the same intensity for the quality of employment, the strength of Osakidetza, access to housing, or the improvement of education."
Housing, education, and health
In the self-proclaimed "housing legislature," it has highlighted the initiatives of the department led by Denis Itxaso and has demanded from EH Bildu "coherence." "You cannot vote for a law and then deny its instruments. You cannot govern in the municipalities and disregard land and urban planning. You cannot lead the banner of complaint and, at the same time, present proposals that multiply construction figures without explaining how, where, and with what resources. Housing is not fixed with demagogy. It is fixed with laws, budgets, land, regulation, and built homes," he pointed out.
He has advocated for "a country policy, with agreements" between institutions, because, as he said, "citizens do not need us to share blame, they need us to give them keys." He has also referred to the latest results of the PISA Report, which reflect "a challenge of enormous dimension" for the Basque educational system, to which "excuses are not valid" and that requires "diligence, leadership, and results."
In this sense, he has called to "summon the entire educational community to recover results and trust" and to offer an "ambitious and concrete response: reinforce reading comprehension and mathematics, support vulnerable students, reduce gaps, accompany teachers, and evaluate policies with transparency...".
When addressing the situation of Osakidetza, he has bet on "preserving and safeguarding the weight of the public" and has clarified that "private agreements can be a temporary instrument" to alleviate waiting lists, although "they cannot become the structural response nor a substitute for public capacity." He has assured that the PSE will support "the brave decisions that allow recovering quality standards" in Basque healthcare and has rejected that "difficulties are used to shift responsibilities to other administrations when an essential part of the solutions is in Euskadi."
Finally, he has reiterated that for socialists "the priority is social" and has defended a budget for 2027 "worthy of an economy that can continue to grow and of a society that does not want to go backward." He has also demanded to anticipate the "crises" and "complex transformations" that are already being felt, such as AI, the energy transition, the demographic crisis, or the redesign of care.