Who are the highest-rated municipal and territorial authorities?
EITB Focus has analysed the level of knowledge and approval of the top territorial and municipal leaders.
A year after the municipal and town elections, the EITB Focus survey has gathered the public's opinion on the top representatives of deputies and municipalities. The analysis shows that the level of knowledge of institutional leaders is generally high, but there are significant differences in approval and assessment data.
Members of Parliament
According to the survey, the mayors of their municipalities are better known to the citizens of the territories than to the general deputies, with Ramiro González (PNV) being the best known, with a level of knowledge of 76.5%, followed by the Guipuzcoano Eider Mendoza (PNV), with 69.3%, and the Vizcaíno Elixabete Etxanobe (PNV), with 64.5%.
With regard to the degree of approval, González also has the best data: 54% of the population rate his performance as good, with a note of 5.7. The General Member of Gipuzkoa, Eider Mendoza, gets 51.1% approval and 6.2 rating, the latter being the highest of the three territories, while Elixabete Etxanobe gets 40.2% approval and 5.9.
In Navarre, President María Chivite (PSN) gets 64.7% approval, with a 5.2 rating, and the level of knowledge of the foral president is very high, 97.9%.
Mayors of the capitals
In the capitals, all mayors have a level of knowledge close to 95%, but there are significant differences in assessments.
In Bilbao, the mayor, Juan Mari Aburto (PNV), gets 66.4% approval and 5.5% rating. In Donostia-San Sebastián, the mayor, Jon Insausti (PNV), gets 66.9% approval and 6% rating. In Vitoria-Gasteiz, the mayor, Maider Etxebarria (PSE), gets 48% approval and 4.8 rating.
As far as Navarre is concerned, the mayor of Pamplona, Joseba Asiron (EH Bildu), has a level of knowledge of 96.7%; his management is supported by 66.1% of the population and his assessment is 5.7%.
Other municipalities
EITB Focus has also sought the views of mayors from other municipalities, such as Barakaldo, Getxo and Basauri; Irun, Eibar and Tolosa in Gipuzkoa; and Laudio, Amurrio and Agurain in Álava.
The mayor of Tolosa, Andu Martínez de Rituerto (EH Bildu), has the highest approval, with 81.9% of Tolosarras surveyed, followed by the mayor of Basauri, Asier Iragorri (PNV), with 72.4%, and the mayor of Eibar, Jon Iraola (PSE), with 72.2%.
In terms of valuation, the mayors of Tolosa and Basauri have also received high scores of 6.9 and 6.1 respectively, highlighting alongside them the mayor of Salvatierra, Raúl López de Uralde (EH Bildu), with an assessment of 6.2.
Methodology and sample
The methodology used in this research has been quantitative in nature, carried out through the interview technique.
This research technique makes it possible to respond to all the objectives set, obtaining results of maximum validity and reliability. The universe of the study consists of persons aged 18 or over residing in the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre and the field work was carried out between 17 April and 13 May 2026.
Stratified sampling has been carried out with proportional quota allocation using quantitative methodology.
Sample
A total of 4,250 surveys have been conducted (950 in Álava, 1,500 in Bizkaia, 1,200 in Gipuzkoa and 600 in Navarre). The surveys have been distributed in 400 capitals — Vitoria, Bilbao, San Sebastián and Pamplona — 200 in Llodio, Amurrio, Getxo, Basauri, Barakaldo, Tolosa, Irún and Eibar; 50 in Salvatierra; 500 in the rest of Bizkaia; 200 in the rest of Gipuzkoa and Navarra; and 100 in the rest of Álava.
The margin of error is ± 1.5 per cent for general data, ± 3.17 per cent for the Historical Territory of Álava, ± 2.53 per cent for the Historical Territory of Bizkaia, ± 2.82 per cent for the Historical Territory of Gipuzkoa and ± 3.99 per cent for Navarre, with a confidence level of 95 per cent.
The sample has been random and stratified by territorial area, municipality, sex and age.
24% of the surveys have been conducted in Basque and the remaining 76% in Spanish, weighing the overall results according to the population size of the municipalities surveyed.
The field work was conducted between 17 April and 13 May 2026 through telephone interviews.
The average survey time was 10 minutes and 22 seconds, the shortest survey time being 6 minutes and the longest survey being 36 minutes.
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