Pradales: "Much remains to be done; the road map involves deepening the Basque agenda"

Lehendakari Imanol Pradales appeared this afternoon in Ajuria Enea to present the balance sheet of his government's two years of management, during which he outlined the strategic road map of the PNV-PSE government coalition and highlighted, among other things, the stability of the Basque Country in the face of this troubled and uncertain world in which we live to advance well-being and self-government.

A model based on shared leadership

Pradales, who has been accompanied in his speech by the advisers, has thanked everyone for their shared leadership in the legislature: "The role of a government is to set the course, but that does not mean governing alone; it is a joint task with institutions, businesses, social partners and, of course, with the citizens, joining forces together."

Two years after the formation of the government and its presentation to Basque society, the lehendakari has acknowledged that these have been "very dense" months, with a lot of uncertainty:  "We have sown a lot, so that we can harvest little by little," he said. In this regard, he has announced that the Basque Government has already launched 80% of its programme. "This is our way; it may not be the fastest, or the easiest, but it may be the right one," he has said, ignoring the magic formulas or despair in the face of social vulnerability.

Road map for the next two years

In any case, Pradales has warned that "much remains to be done" and that the government cannot slow down or lose strength with external political noise. He has pointed out that the main objective will be to prioritise the Basque agenda and to double efforts on the three main pillars of the government: strengthening public services, investing in transformation and strengthening the community, fleeing confrontation and promoting dialogue.

To achieve this, the Government will give a strong boost to the legislative calendar with new key projects, including the Universities Act, the Basque Cultural System Act, the Act on Administrative Acceleration and Simplification, Tourism, Sustainable Agriculture and Food, Equal Treatment and Non-discrimination, among others.

The challenges of the legislature: housing, health and the new model of self-government

With regard to public services, Pradales has prioritized the completion of the Osakidetza OPE, the acquisition of 8,000 officers in the Ertzaintza and the incorporation of 700 professionals to improve educational outcomes and combat segregation.

It has also advocated addressing the migration challenge, making a qualitative leap in the social use of the Basque language and moving towards a new system of self-government after completing the Gernika Statute. 

The lehendakari has put an end to the balance sheet by asking the 15 coalition councillors for "pace" for the remaining half of his term: "We have half the work left and we can't be clueless."