Basque_Government

Basque Government

Basque Government

Government body in Spain

The Basque Government (Basque: Eusko Jaurlaritza, Spanish: Gobierno Vasco) is the governing body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. The head of the Basque government is known as the Lehendakari. The Lehendakari is appointed by the Basque Parliament every four years, after a regional election. Its headquarters are located in the Lakua district of Vitoria-Gasteiz in Álava.

Quick Facts Overview, Established ...

The first Basque Government was created after the approval of the first Basque Statute of Autonomy on 1 October 1936, in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. It was headed by José Antonio Aguirre (EAJ-PNV) and was supported by a coalition of all the parties that fought the Nationalist forces in the Civil War: those comprising the Popular Front (PSOE, PCE, EAE-ANV and other parties that sided with the Second Spanish Republic). After the defeat of the Republic, the Basque Government survived in exile, chaired by Jesús María Leizaola after the death of Aguirre in 1960. This first Basque Government was formally disbanded after the approval of the current Statute of Autonomy in 1979, after the death of caudillo Francisco Franco.

Upon approval of the new Statute, the new Basque Government was created (1980), superseding the Basque General Council. Carlos Garaikoetxea was the first lehendakari of the new Government.

Current composition

Main article: Third Urkullu Government
Iñigo Urkullu (EAJ-PNV), the current Lehendakari.

During the current legislative term, the Basque Government is chaired by Iñigo Urkullu, member of the Basque Nationalist Party, thanks to a government agreement with the Basque Socialist Party-Basque Left Party (PSE-EE). Urkullu got the back up of 41 parliamentarians (30 from the PNV and 11 from the PSE-EE) in his inauguration speech that took place in September 2020.

The composition of the Basque Government is established by the President of the Basque Country, also referred in Euskera as Lehendakari, who selects the counselors that will lead each of the Government departments. During the current legislative term the Government is compounded by eleven departments: Security; Labour and Employment; Public Governance and Self-Government; Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment; Economy and Treasury; Education; Territorial Planning, Housing and Transport; Health; Equality, Justice and Social Policies; Culture and Language Policy; and Tourism, Commerce and Consumption.[1] It has 78,000 employees.[2][3]

List of powers

Power held by the Basque country include but are not limited to:

Politics, bureaucracy and justice

  • Basque Country statistics.
  • Economic planning.
  • Internal trade.
  • Justice (as determined by the Organic Laws of Judiciary and of the General Council of the Judiciary), excluding military justice.
  • Autonomous police force.

Finance

  • Co-operatives, Mutual Benefit Societies (not owned by Social Security).
  • Banks (under state monetary policy).

Industry

  • Public sector.
  • Planning of inland territory and coastline, town planning and housing.
  • Woodland and forestry.
  • Agriculture and livestock.
  • Fishing inland.
  • Pharmaceutical control.
  • Scientific research.
  • Professional associations
  • Casinos, gaming, betting, except for the national system of wagers for sporting charities.

Infrastructure

  • Hydraulic projects, canals and irrigation schemes when the waters flow, in their entirety, within the Basque Country
  • Distribution and transport of energy used within the Basque country only.
  • Railways, transport by land, sea, river and cable, ports, heliports, airports.
  • Community development.

Health and social

  • Health
  • Social welfare work.

Education

  • Responsibility for all education

Culture

  • Culture
  • Responsibility for Spanish and Basque languages
  • Independent television, radio and press.
  • Fine Arts institutions
  • Historical, artistic, monumental, archeological and scientific heritage.
  • Archives, Libraries and Museums not owned by the state.
  • Tourism, sport, leisure and entertainment.
  • Public performances.[4]

Historic administrations

  • Garaikoetxea I (1980-1984)
  • Garaikoetxea II (1984-1985)
  • Ardanza I (1985-1987)
  • Ardanza II (1987-1991)
  • Ardanza III (1991-1995)
  • Ardanza IV [eu] (1995-1999)
  • Ibarretxe I [eu] (1999-2001)
  • Ibarretxe II [eu] (2001-2005)
  • Ibarretxe III [eu] (2005-2009)
  • López [eu] (2009-2012)
  • Urkullu I (2012-2016)
  • Urkullu II (2016-2020)
  • Urkullu III (2020-2024)

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Departments". irekia.euskadi.eus. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  2. [2]
    "Boletín Estadístico del personal al servicio de las Administraciones Públicas. Julio 2011" [Statistical Bulletin of the personnel at the service of the Public Administrations. July 2011]. Archived from the original on 2012-11-26. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  3. [3]
    "Personal medio empleado en las administraciones públicas vascas por tipo de administración. 2016-2019" [Average personnel employed in the Basque public administrations by type of administration. 2016-2019]. www.eustat.es. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  4. [4]
    "The statue of autonomy of the Basque Country". www.euskadi.eus. 2004-07-16. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
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