Life

Three out of four Basques, seventy-five per cent, think the economic situation in the Basque Country is bad or very bad, whereas a bigger percentage, ninety-four per cent, think the economic situation is bad or very bad in Spain, according to a poll released on Wednesday by the Basque Government.

The problems that most affect the citizens of the Basque Community at a personal level relate to the job market (80%) and economic problems (40%). On the contrary, only five per cent of the Basques said to be worried about terrorism.

As a result, thirty-eight per cent declare that they or someone in their household has seen his/her salary frozen during the last two years, is out of work (37%), has seen his/her salary reduced (34%) or has seen his/her working hours reduced (22%).

Not so much interest on politics

None of the political parties in the Basque Country obtained a pass mark although the PNV received the highest score (4.1). These were followed, in descending order, by Bildu (3.5), PSE-EE (3.4), Aralar (3.1), IU-Ezker Anitza (3.0), Ezker Batua (2.9), PP (1.9) and UpyD (1.8),

PNV leader Iñigo Urkullu (4.6) and former Aralar politician Aintzane Ezenarro (4.6) are the most highly appraised political leaders although none of them obtains a pass mark from the inhabitants of the Basque Country.

Urkullu and Ezenarro are followed by Pello Urizar (4.5), Patxi Lopez (4.3), Mikel Arana (4.2), Antonio Basagoiti (2.9) and Gorka Maneiro (2.8).