The former president of the Generalitat Carles Puigdemont met this Friday with the president of the PNV, Andoni Ortuzar, in Waterloo (Belgium) to strengthen relations between JuntsxCat and the Basque nationalists, somewhat battered during the process period, and analyze the panorama political in Spain after the general elections of 23-J that give the key to governability to Junts and the jeltzales.
The general secretary of Junts, Jordi Turull, and the person responsible for organizing the jeltzales, Joseba Aurrekoetxea, also participated in the meeting, which lasted two and a half hours, as reported by both parties in separate statements.
At the meeting, the first official contact between Ortuzar and Puigdemont, both have shared the positions and expectations with which the two groups face this relevant process, in which “they play a key role in a possible negotiation for the investiture that has not yet been made.” has begun,” the parties have highlighted.
It should be remembered that the seven seats of Junts and the five of the PNV are key to an eventual investiture of Pedro Sánchez, once his support for the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has been ruled out.
For Puigdemont, Ortuzar’s visit represents new support for his political projection beyond Catalonia after receiving the second vice president of the Government, Yolanda Díaz, in the European Parliament last week, one day before requesting amnesty for the independence movement. and the commitment to explore the possibility of a self-determination referendum as conditions to invest Sánchez.
The political scenario that emerged from the elections of July 23 is promoting a rapprochement between the PNV and Junts. Relations between both parties suffered during the years of the process, especially in the case of the Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, and Puigdemont, who have not spoken for years.
The PNV, in any case, always maintained a line of communication with Junts leaders linked in the past to CiU, a historical ally of the Jeltzales. Aitor Esteban, Joseba Aurrekoetxea and Andoni Ortuzar himself have maintained a political and friendly relationship for decades with veterans of the post-convergent space such as Jordi Turull, Josep Rull or Francesc Homs. Even in the moments of greatest tension, they maintained a solid foundation of trust and understanding, according to Jeltzal sources.
The last legislature there were no rapprochements on the political level, since the strategic paths of both parties did not coincide. Now, however, both formations are key for the eventual investiture of Pedro Sánchez, and the PNV wants to restore the bridges with Junts in a context in which, in addition, EH Bildu and ERC go hand in hand.
Basque nationalists consider that the investiture negotiation opens an opportunity to rethink the State model in a plurinational key and want to align agendas with Junts in pursuit of common objectives.
PNV sources recognize that the relationship with Junts is increasingly fluid, something that had its influence in the negotiation to form the Congress Board and that was evident this Friday with the visit to Waterloo.
Ortuzar’s visit must also be understood in a Basque key. The PNV is going through a particularly complicated moment that requires it to regain prominence, take the initiative and try to reconcile with a part of its voters.
In the May and July elections he suffered two electoral setbacks. Next spring elections to the Basque Parliament will be held, from which a new lehendakari will emerge. EH Bildu is hot on its heels, and the PNV has begun the new political course determined to be the protagonist.
The objective is to be more PNV than ever, recovering the national agenda, spinning fine lines on the social level and recovering a relevant role in Madrid, a level in which it now rivals EH Bildu.
The jeltzales have a goal and propose a way to achieve it. It is a reformulation of the state in a plurinational key through a constitutional convention, a formula that would allow the Constitution to be reinterpreted without necessarily reforming it. From there, they will also seek an update of Basque self-government.
In any case, to achieve this they need Pedro Sánchez’s investiture to prosper and they also require traveling companions. This is where Junts comes in, former allies whose paths cross again.
