The Basque Government honors Garaikoetxea, "architect of the Basque Country"

Thelehendakari, Carlos Garaikoetxea lehendakari, recalls that since 1980 the first Basque Government of democracy had difficulties, but stresses that Euskadi is a "courageous and hard-working" society that has overcome challenges and that, "united and respectful of diversity", will overcome future challenges.

The Palace of Ajuria Enea in Vitoria-Gasteiz hosted on Monday a tribute by the Basque Government to Garaikoetxea, 87 years old, attended by three government councillors: the Education Counsellor, Pedro Miguel Etxenike; the Territorial Policy and Public Works Adviser, Javier Lasagabaster; and the Economy and Finance Adviser, Pedro Luis Uriarte.

Garaikoetxea ceased to be lehendakari in 1985, when he left the PNV and founded Eusko Alkartausna (a division not mentioned today). The act of homage and recognition has been organized by the current lehendakari and has also been attended by Iñigo Urkullu and Juan José Ibarretxe.

The lehendakari Garaikoetxea has thanked Imanol Pradales for his "generosity" to convene the event in Ajuria Enea, "a loving event that I also share with the three counselors," he said. "Ajuria Enea was my home for six years and it is as if time had not passed, because time does not make our friendship and memories disappear."

"Today we look back with gratitude to celebrate what we have built together. I am convinced that once we have overcome the turbulent past with good note, Euskadi will successfully face the complex challenges of the future and shape them in its favor," Garaikoetxea added.

In the words of the President of that first government, "the challenges of the future are great, but we are more capable of overcoming them. We are a brave and hard-working nation. United, based on loyal cooperation and respect for diversity, we will build a better, more prosperous and more sustainable Euskadi."

Garaikoetxea recalls that since that time, in 1980, very painful difficulties and moments had to be overcome. "I cannot erase from memory the explosion that killed the children at his school (in Ortuella), those floods... We were able to rebuild everything that had fallen, but it left a mark on our memory forever," he recalls.

Garaikoetxea greets his successor with the following message: "Imanol, good luck, and courage and strength."

Thelehendakari, Imanol Pradales , has praised the first Basque Government of democracy for putting in place tools that have allowed the Basque Country to "grow in prosperity and well-being" and has particularly appreciated the legacy of lehendakari, Carlos Garaikoetxea, whom he has described as "an extraordinary architect of the Basque Country".

Pradales has described the presence of all of them as an honour and has thanked them for their work, especially Garaikoetxea. He recalled a recent visit to his home in Pamplona, where he had the opportunity to read fragments of a letter sent to him by the former leader of the PNV in Navarre, Manuel de Irujo, "in the whirlwinds of dictatorship", in which he urged him to think "of the people capable of organizing the Basque institutions".

"It was a prophetic letter because five years later the content came true. Lehendakari Garaikoetxea designed the plans and proved to be the great architect of the Basque Country of the future that he imagined. Today we all know. The president and his government did not fall asleep. On the contrary, they moved every day," he said.

Pradales has also recognized the legacy of those who accompanied him and has reviewed some of his achievements, such as the Euskera Use Normalization Act and that of the Basque Public University, the Economic Concert, the Ertzaintza, EITB and HABE or Osakidetza.

Former Education Counselor Pedro Miguel Etxenike, Territorial Policy and Public Works Counselor Javier Lasagabaster  and Economic and Finance Counselor Pedro Luis Uriarteshare anecdotes of their entry into the Basque Government.

Apart from the great institutional pillars of the Basque Country such as the Gernika Statute and the Economic Concert, all three have been shocked to review some of their experiences as Lasagabaster has done, who has claimed to be the father of bidegorris beyond the great infrastructure.

"I was the only one who did not know Basque and the name came to me after visiting a city in the United Kingdom," explains Lasagabaster, who has been nostalgic and excited about his return to Ajuria Enea, while highlighting the moment of "peace and progress" that Euskadi is experiencing.

Etxenike has thanked Garaikoetxea for "the success of the unified Euskera" and has highlighted his "courage" because he bet as one more member of his government.

He has also said that on his return to Ajuria Enea he has felt sadness "for those who are not" and, in a more political tone, has proclaimed the Statute, as well as the achievement of a "special and differentiated relationship with the State" and the existence of a judicial power of his own.

Uriarte, for his part, has thanked him for proposing to occupy "such an important position" as Economic and Finance Counsellor. "This garden and the one behind it (Ajuria Enea Palace) I bought it and other things," he has proclaimed.

After praising the importance of the Economic Concert and the role of Garaikoetxea in achieving it, Uriarte has focused on the offspring of the Gernika tree planted in the gardens of Ajuria Enea and has defined it as a "promise of the future".