The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) has established a prerequisite for maintaining its support for Pedro Sánchez's Government until the approval of the General State Budgets. The Basque nationalists demand the closure of several pending matters concerning self-government before the summer break in August. The holding of the bilateral commission, crucial for relations between the central Government and the Basque Government, depends on the resolution of these issues.
The priorities of the Basque Government focus on the transfer of the economic regime of Social Security, including pensions and Fogasa. They also claim the management of the ports of Pasaia and Bilbao, as well as matters related to the migratory file to expand the functions of the Ertzaintza in immigration matters and recognize Euskadi as a northern border. Furthermore, the claim for the temporary transfer of Picasso's Guernica to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is intended to be included.
The central Executive expresses a general willingness to advance in self-government, but without specifying progress on pending matters. The PNV, for its part, warns that the bilateral commission will not be held if there are no prior agreements. President Sánchez has acknowledged the "constructive" will of the Basque nationalists to negotiate the Budgets, although the situation appears complex.
One of the guarantees already obtained by the PNV is that the general elections will not coincide with the municipal elections of May 2027. This was a priority for the nationalists, who have reduced pressure after the so-called "electoral super-Sunday" was ruled out. Sánchez himself has confirmed this possibility, opening the door to calling early elections if the Budgets do not proceed.
The central Government is currently avoiding positioning itself in a scenario of Budget rejection, focusing on their defense and negotiations. The Council of Ministers is expected to approve the macroeconomic framework this week and, in mid-July, the spending ceiling and deficit path, in order to approve the Budget project in September.
So far in this legislature, the PNV has achieved numerous agreements for the transfer of powers, fulfilling the investiture commitment to complete those pending from the Statute of Gernika. The latest package of agreements was closed at the end of March, including the framework for financial cooperation with the ICO, financing for SMEs, and the transfer of subsidies for agricultural insurance, among others.
Euskadi accounts for half of the transfers of powers to autonomous communities in the last three years. Catalonia, for its part, has completed five agreements, including the reinforcement of the transfer of coastal management and commitments to promote Catalan.
