Lehendakari calls for a shared commitment to migration, the Euskera and self-government in his end-of-year message
The lehendakari has called for hope in the current "alarming" international political context and warned that "patience is running out" because commitments to self-government are not being fulfilled.
The President, Imanol Pradales, has delivered from San Sebastián the institutional message of the end of the year, in which he has put on the table three main axes for the immediate future of the Basque Country: migration, the Basque Country and self-government. The speech has been marked by the humanist vision and the defence of social cohesion.
He reviews 2025, conditioned, in his opinion, by global instability, the war in Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza and the rise of political polarization. Pradales highlights the positive milestones for the Basque Country, such as the Health Pact, urgent housing measures, the implementation of the quantum computer, the return of the Talgo, the officiality of the Basque ball selection or the launch of the San Juan de Pasajes.
The lehendakari, who addressed last year's message to young people and has dedicated one of the main blocks of this year to migrants , has recalled that in two decades 30,000 people have gone from migrants to 300,000, and has defended a vision based on human dignity. Pradales has said that this is a "complex" path, based on a shared commitment , with rights and obligations.
The lehendakari has dedicated a special section to the Basque language, claiming the right of citizens to know and use either of the two official languages and, in particular, their own. He has warned that there are attempts to "distance themselves from what has been done", but he has stressed that Basque society will continue to promote the Basque language and has predicted "a new leap" in the normalization and revitalization of the Basque language.
In the final part of his speech, Pradales has focused on self-government , which has drawn up a "worrying" scenario in this area. He has denounced that the commitments signed with the Spanish Government have not yet been fulfilled and that he does not see the necessary determinations for the next bilateral examination to be properly completed. He has stated that "it has been too long" and has warned that "patience is running out".
The lehendakari has closed the message with hope, recalling that the 90th anniversary ofthe first Basque Government led by Aguirre in 2026 will be : he has stated that it was an example of cooperation and the defence of Basque democracy, self-government and freedoms. "I have every confidence in the people," he concluded, before wishing the citizens a good new year.
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