The Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, yesterday proposed a pact to guarantee “exemplarity” in political activity in the Basque Country, in order to expel from public debate tension, insults, demagogy, lies, the dissemination of false information and prevent the spread of “populism”. An agreement that does not expressly include the question of ETA, which it considers a “different sphere” and a “prior and superior” ethical principle.
Pradales focused his entire initial speech on this issue after the meeting of the first Governing Council of the new political year, held yesterday, as tradition dictates, at the Miramar Palace in San Sebastian.
The Lehendakari made public a document, open to suggestions and contributions, containing a set of ten commitments aimed at establishing “honesty” in political behaviour, which has already been shared with the parties and was sent to the Basque Parliament yesterday.
Recognition of differences, the search for the common good, not using civil society for partisan purposes, rejecting demagogy, manipulation, cheating, dirty tricks and “fake news” and respecting the autonomy of the media are some of the commitments contained in the document. Also mentioned are the maintenance of good manners in public communication, respect for the private life and privacy of political representatives and the public sector and the recognition of Basque public institutions.
The Decalogue includes issues such as “publicly reporting ideas, projects or decisions with honesty” and “favoring the plurality of visions and an attitude of understanding, as long as the ideas respect Human Rights.” Pradales referred to this last idea, contained in the third point of the Decalogue, when questioned about the compatibility of signing this pact with maintaining positions that legitimize terrorism.
The Lehendakari explained that, although it has been known as an “ethical pact”, his proposal is called a “pact for exemplary political activity” and issues such as a critical review of the past and the delegitimisation of ETA belong to another area. In his opinion, the position on terrorism constitutes a “prior and superior ethical principle”. He stated that his government’s position in this regard is clear and consists of promoting the “absolute delegitimisation of violence in any of its forms and its consideration as radically unjust”, in addition to the recognition of the victims and the construction of an inclusive and ethical memory.
The position regarding ETA “is prior and superior.” “I would not like to mix things up, but we cannot ignore what the country’s past has been,” he admitted.
“I wouldn’t like to mix things up, but we can’t ignore the country’s past”
In its explanatory statement, the document maintains that the objective of the pact “is not to establish the ethical dimension that political projects or public policies should have,” since those who sign it “share the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its spirit as a basic commitment.”
The text does not seek to “replace the ethical codes and good practices already existing in Basque public or political institutions,” but rather to “add to what was previously agreed.” The pact does not intend, Pradales said, to limit the political action of the opposition, but rather seeks to ensure that undesirable behaviour is not repeated in Euskadi, which he detects not only in other parts of Spain, but also in other European countries and even in the United States.
«Populisms have gained a lot of strength, both in the far left and the far right. It has to do with political mentalities that seek to impose one way of understanding society and nullify the others», he reflected. In his opinion, as expressed in the document presented, «democracy is seriously threatened in Europe today» by the constant attacks of anti-democratic forces that «are obtaining strong social support».
“As Lehendakari, I do not want what we see in other places for Euskadi. The Basques do not feel represented by this way of doing things, in fact, they reject it outright,” said Pradales.
The Basque leader said that the Basque Country is starting from a “good base” because it practices “a more constructive way of doing politics,” which translates into agreements between different people, “greater respect for the adversary” and “more calm debates.” “But we must nurture every day, in every action, this way of understanding and exercising politics,” he stressed.