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Interviewed

PSE and PNV leaders exchange strong words

Staff

06/13/2011

The respective leaders of the PSE-EE and PNV gave separate radio interview on Monday in which they each criticised the political strategy of the other.

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The President of the PNV, Iñigo Urkullu, has dubbed as "insulting" claims made by the PSE-EE that a covert pact was formed between the nationalist parties in order to share out municipalities. Urkullu described the accusations as a PSE-EE strategy for masking the recent election results.

To the PSE-EE Urkullu said: "we cannot avoid the political landscape within Basque society. If anyone thought that what we have seen over the last 10 years was a true picture of the institutions, they were mistaken."

As such, he said that the latest muncipal elections puts the PP and PSE on a combined total of 30% among the total Basque electorate, which has been reaffirmed by the request for early elections.

The Basque President and leader of the PSE-EE, meanwhile, believes that the distribution of Basque municipalities which took place on Saturday does not represent "the truest image" of the current landscape. He added that he and his party would attempt to over the latest changes.

During an interview with Cadena Ser, López said that he is in no doubt that the PNV made pacts with Bildu in some municipalities "for the sole purpose of pushing out the PSE" and that the PNV employed a "general strategy" which was to "cast down" any calls for pacts between the PSOE, PP and PNV.

López stated that there had been calls from the PSE and PP to seek alliances between the three parties and yet the PNV has opted for a "particular and partisan" strategy which "they probably employed in order to build nationalist forces" rather than part of a "something necessary for the country."

López added that while the legalisation of Bildu was celebrated as a signal of democracy but that now he wonders whether they will govern "for the good of the Basque community."

He also described it as "a bit shocking" that Bildu''s message to the muncipalities where they now govern has not been one of coexistence, or how to tackle the recession or unemployment, but about the legalisation of Sortu and Basque prisoners. This shows, according to López, that Bildu lacks "democratic direction".

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