The replacement between Iñigo Urkullu and Imanol Pradales, precipitated by several leaks, is not being channeled as the PNV would have wanted, although the jeltzales have found several anecdotes that give rise to sweetening it. The first goes back to the childhood of the future Basque nationalist candidate, in Mamariga, a working-class neighborhood of Santurtzi, on the Left Bank of the Bilbao estuary.
There, Pradales had Urkullu himself as a teacher, at the Asti Leku ikastola, a Basque island in the middle of one of the most Spanish-speaking regions of the Basque Country. In this environment he grew up, in a family of workers politically linked to Basque nationalism (his grandfather was a gudari and his parents joined in 1976), and there he approached politics.
“He keeps vivid memories of dozens of Alderdi Egunas and Aberri Egunas,” the party points out. This passion for politics, which he combined with bench rowing, led him to study and obtain a doctorate in Political Science and Sociology. Being a professor at the University of Deusto, Urkullu himself asked him for several papers related to the field of his thesis, employment and competitiveness. Later, he encouraged him to enter politics. At 30 years old, he decided to leave the campus and take the step. What he would not have imagined is that 18 years later he would take over from his teacher at the ikastola as a candidate for lehendakari for the PNV.
Imanol Pradales Gil was born on April 21, 1975 and is the youngest of four brothers. He grew up in a humble family, in a house on Nafarroa Street, and among hardships, as highlighted by the information that the PNV has sent in connection with his proposal as a candidate.
His father, Manu Pradales, had studied an Industrial Master’s Degree, and “set up a small workshop with two friends that they lost with the crisis of the 70s.” Her mother, Rosi Gil, studied hairdressing, although she took care of her large family.
“Throughout the first half of the 80s, the family had a hard time. For years, the father spent more time unemployed than working: as a laborer, assembling pipes… Whatever came his way,” said a friend of Pradales for the profile they have drawn up from the PNV.
The connection with Basque nationalism comes from both his parents and his paternal grandfather. “His parents were active Jeltzal militants. They joined on the same day in 1976, although Manu was already active underground,” they point out from the PNV.
His grandfather had been a gudari and, as he explains, he was compensated in the 90s, which allowed him to enroll at the University of Deusto. “My aitite (grandfather) had fought in the Civil War on the losing side. In the bombing of Otxandiano, Manuel lost his brother and he was wounded. In the 90s, I think that thanks to an agreement with Felipe González, the PNV got the State to compensate the survivors of the losing side, and my assistant Manuel gave us that small compensation so that I could enroll in Deusto.
Before, he coincided with Urkullu at the ikastola and, outside of the classroom, he became interested in the sport of trawlers, very popular throughout the Cantabrian Sea. Pradales rowed in La Sotera, the Santurtzi trawler, since he was a cadet and even participated in La Bandera de La Concha, the great rowing event.
“I was not an extraordinary rower, not at all, but we won some flags, modest ones, and we rowed in the big events: La Concha, Zarautz, Hondarribia…”, he indicates.
After finishing COU, he decided to study Sociology and Political Science. “I didn’t do it thinking that I was going to dedicate myself to politics, but because I was passionate about it,” she says.
He graduated, completed his doctoral thesis and began working as a professor at the University of Deusto. In 2007, the call of politics came to him. “I was very comfortable working as a teacher in Deusto at 30 years old. I had experienced politics at home, but I had never considered taking the step into the public sphere… I was doing very well at the University, I liked what I did, but I decided to take the step and here I am,” he says.
Pradales requested leave to launch, as managing director, Bizkaia Talent, aimed at attracting outside talent and recovering talent that may have left. A year later Urkullu proposed him to be one of the coordinators of Think Gaur, a process of reflection, updating and modernization within the PNV. Later he made the leap to the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, where he has held various responsibilities related to economic promotion and infrastructure.
In 2015, he had to apologize after having bought shares in the construction company Sacyr despite holding the position of deputy for Economic and Territorial Development. Pradales stressed that the acquisition of the shares was “legal” and “compatible with responsible, neutral, impartial and transparent ethical conduct,” although he acknowledged that it had not been the “most correct” decision and he sold them.
Last summer, the new deputy general of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe, appointed him deputy for Infrastructure and Territorial Development, a position from which he will now resign to look to Ajuria Enea.
Pradales is married and the father of a 2-year-old daughter. In his free time, according to the PNV, he enjoys “with his family and the crew, which is what he did in rowing.” He also disconnects through “reading”, to the point of “colonizing the house with books”, from sports and the music of “Benito Lertxundi, Fito, Xabier Lete, Bruce Springsteen, Hertzainak or Dire Straits”.
Among his political references, Pradales mentions the Lehendakari José Antonio Agirre, Xabier Arzalluz and the former deputy general of Bizkaia José Luis Bilbao. He also cites Iñigo Urkullu, “the person whose example encouraged me to take the leap into public service” and whom he will aspire to succeed next spring.
