The separatist left-wing alliance EH Bildu has achieved a historic success in the parliamentary election in the Spanish Basque Country. With around 95 percent of the votes counted, EH Bildu won 27 seats – six more than in the last vote in 2020. This marked a significant achievement for the alliance, which was founded in 2012 and had previously won 21 seats in the parliament.
Despite their success, however, the separatists remain in opposition as the government coalition between the conservative regional party PNV and the socialists (PSOE) is expected to continue. The PNV and PSOE have an absolute majority of 39 out of the total 75 seats in the parliament in Vitoria. This coalition would lose two seats based on the available results.
The PNV, led by former regional head of government Iñigo Urkullu, is also nationalist in orientation but less radical than EH Bildu. Urkullu, who has been in power since 2012, did not run as the top candidate this time. He is likely to be replaced as head of government by his party colleague Imanol Pradales.
The Basque Country, once a site of a bloody battle for independence by terrorist organization ETA, is now one of Spain’s wealthiest autonomous regions. ETA’s dissolution
