The PNV spokesperson in Congress and candidate for Guipúzcoa, Maribel Vaquero, defended this Saturday "streets without violence" in Euskadi and made a call for "calm and responsibility" in the face of messages spread on social networks that incite the commission of vandalic acts on the part of the 'Blocus' movement on the occasion of the celebration of 'Halloween'. In this context, she has asked that 'Gau Beltza' take place peacefully, without resorting to "kale borroka", and urged the citizenry and all political formations to condemn in a "resounding" manner any violent action.
During an event of the PNV held next to the Náutico de San Sebastián, Vaquero reiterated her call "for calm and responsibility in the face of calls on social networks to commit vandalic acts in the streets of Euskadi". "Demonstrating peacefully is legitimate, but what is not legitimate is to use violence. In the face of vandalism, our greatest condemnation," she stressed.
Likewise, she asked that "violence not be used at the end of the demonstrations as happened" last Monday in Bilbao, after the protests against an act by the agitator Vito Quiles that ultimately did not take place, and she emphasized that the issue of security must be addressed "without populism and without demagoguery".
In her intervention, she stressed that "security means coexistence, walking freely through the streets, enjoying the festivities and, therefore, what we want is that there not be a 'Gau Beltza' with provocations, with vandalic acts. We want a 'Gau Beltza', peaceful festivities".
Condemnation of violence and defense of coexistence
Vaquero emphasized that the PNV "does not understand that anything is built, nor national construction, on the basis of violence". "Therefore, we want streets free of violence and we make a call, both to the citizenry and to the rest of the political parties, for the use of violence to be condemned forcefully, that we not take a step backward and that we commit ourselves to coexistence," she pointed out.
In this line, she again asked that this 'Gau Beltza' "be a peaceful celebration, a reason for celebration and not an act to use kale borroka" because "what happened in Bilbao cannot be repeated again". "After a peaceful demonstration, one cannot use, as some young people did at the end of the demonstration, the fight against fascism using violence, because it is to fight fascism with more fascism," she reiterated.
Electoral context and the role of the PNV in Madrid
In electoral terms, the jeltzale candidate has warned that there must be no violence, "however legitimate" a demonstration may be. She has recalled that, "from the PNV we are clear that, after November 29, which will be very polarized elections, we will also have to talk about many issues, housing, industry, energy, care and, for that, we are going to need a strong group in Madrid, that speaks from the center, that seeks agreement, dialogue and not confrontation".
She has insisted that the jeltzales will stand up "against the PP and Vox", since they will not accept "any kind of democratic regression, neither in civil rights nor in the political rights of this people". "Therefore, we are going to fight against democratic regression and to make a firm defense of our self-government and our institutions. In the defense of Euskadi you will find us and not in political bickering", she emphasized.
Polls, EH Bildu and political centrality
Asked about the latest sociometer of the Basque Government that gives victory to EH Bildu in Euskadi in the coming elections, Vaquero responded that "they are polls that have been done in a given time and there is a month left until the elections".
She added that "we still have a lot of time to explain our program and in Madrid a strong Basque Group is needed, because what we decide here are 18 deputies, who are the ones who will decide there, the ones who are going to defend the interests of Euskadi in Madrid".
In this sense, she has highlighted the "political trajectory" of "defense of Euskadi in Madrid" of the PNV, considering that it is the formation that "can do it in the future", since "the PSE-EE, when it goes there, becomes the PSOE, the PP into more Vox, and to the left of the left we no longer know what there is".
Furthermore, she criticized the fact that EH Bildu in Madrid "is tailing the Sanchismo", while she defended that "greater centrality" is needed to guarantee "Basque self-government and all those issues that interest Basque society".