Eneko Andueza, general secretary of the PSE-EE, reaffirmed on 24 October 2026 that the greater Basque self-government sought by his party was not a project of separation. Andueza said the aim was to improve people’s lives, not to “build borders”. Euskadi should remain pluralistic and open to Spain and Europe.
Andueza linked this position to a call to form a “front for the defence of rights”. He accused the Partido Popular and Vox of questioning fundamental freedoms and exploiting fear for political purposes. The socialist stressed that the focus should be on practical policy areas such as housing, health and education, where the existing instruments of Basque self-government should be put to targeted use.
On substance, Andueza foreshadowed reform of the institutional framework, but spoke not of secession, but of an Statute of Autonomy, to be developed further without ideological entrenchment. He rejected an exclusionary identity politics. Self-government in Basque Country should be compatible with belonging to Spain and being part of Europe.
With his remarks, the PSE-EE leader clearly positioned himself against forces that interpret self-government as a step towards separation. At the same time, he distanced himself from a politics of symbolic confrontation and put social priorities first. He specifically pointed to the responsibility of stable institutions to secure investment and ensure sustainable funding for public services.
Andueza’s choice of words echoes earlier appearances in which he stressed the protection of social rights and cooperation with other institutions. What is new is his emphatic point that additional powers for Euskadi must be justified in practical terms: through measurable improvements in rents, healthcare waiting times and equality of opportunity in education. His appeal against the right is intended to bring together political forces beyond his own electorate.
The remarks came from a public speech by Andueza on 24 October 2026. Media reports and party statements from the Basque Country support the quotations and the thrust of his argument. No further legislative or decision-making status was announced; these are political announcements and positions whose implementation would have to be negotiated within the framework of the existing Statute of Autonomy and Spanish constitutional rules.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).