The Basque Government shows its support for the Palestinian people and calls for a definitive ceasefire

Through an institutional declaration on the situation in Palestine, the Basque Government has demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, expressing its deepest sorrow for all those who have died and its total and absolute support for their families.

 "We strongly and unreservedly condemn the use of hunger as a method of war, the unlawful denial or obstruction of access to humanitarian aid and the forced and mass displacement of the Palestinian population. We demand full protection for all humanitarian, healthcare and relief workers, as well as for journalists covering the conflict. In this regard, we especially reiterate our explicit support for UNRWA's mission and purpose, and we urge the parties involved, as well as the international community, and particularly the European Union, to seek and support without further delay negotiated solutions that allow for a lasting peace," the statement declared.

€15M to promote employability in Euskadi through Lanbide

The Governing Council has approved two management mandates for the 2025-2026 period with the aim of strengthening training in Lanbide and improving employability in Euskadi.

These initiatives, which amount to over €15 million of investment, will be developed in collaboration with the Department of Education and the Institute for the Literacy and Re-Basque Education of Adults (HABE).

According to Mikel Torres, Second Vice Lehendakari and Minister of Economy, Labour and Employment, "the goal is to respond to the growing demand for qualified bilingual personnel in Euskadi and to offer citizens new opportunities for professional development, combining the acquisition of technical skills with knowledge of Basque as an added value for access to the labour market". "With these two mandates, Lanbide reaffirms its commitment to improving employability, promoting lifelong learning, and normalising the use of Basque in the professional sphere", he concluded.

Position on the Popular Legislative Initiative on pension supplements

Regarding the consideration of the Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) to create a pension supplement, the Basque Government has expressed an unfavourable opinion.

According to Torres, the proposal is unnecessary because Euskadi already has its own model of income guarantee and it contradicts the coherence of the current Basque System of Income Guarantee and Inclusion (LSVGII), recently approved by the Basque Parliament with broad political consensus. "Protection for pension recipients is already integrated into the system, and since 2008, Euskadi has had its own income guarantee model that ensures dignified minimum incomes and includes specific measures for pensioners," he explained.

The Executive defended the solidity of the Basque Income Guarantee System and warned of the risks of duplication, inequality, and financial unsustainability posed by the proposal. Indeed, "the Basque Income Guarantee System avoids duplications and inequalities compared to the ILP proposal, which suggests supplementing pensions on an individual basis. This would generate overlaps with existing benefits and preferential treatment for one group to the detriment of other vulnerable groups. Moreover, given the nature of the measure, it falls within the state’s responsibility to address possible general improvements to pensions, and the application of the ILP would represent an unsustainable structural expense for Basque public finances", the Minister explained.

Finally, the Government’s legal services determined that the proposal does not meet the requirements established in the Basque Parliament’s regulations regarding initiatives that involve an increase in budgetary allocations.

Free Basque language learning and accreditation of linguistic profiles

The Basque Government continues to take steps to make learning Basque easier and free of charge. Thus, the Council of Government has approved a call for grants for students studying Basque at basic levels A1–A2 during the 2025–2026 academic year and for young people aged 16 to 18 who wish to improve their communication skills at level C1.

According to First Vice Lehendakari and Minister of Culture and Linguistic Policy Ibone Bengoetxea, "the main goal is to make learning Basque easier and more accessible for everyone; this agreement continues the free-of-charge policies implemented in previous years and, as a novelty, incorporates level A2 into the free program." For the Government, learning Basque is strategic in order to advance in the use of the language. For this reason, we will continue to guarantee, expand, and support pathways for learning Basque.".

A total of €4.86 million will be allocated to ensure that enrolment for studying Basque at the aforementioned levels during the 2025–2026 academic year is free of charge. This represents a 52.9% increase over last year’s budget for the new course.

In addition, the Basque Government has amended Order 9/2020 so that HABE can accredit new Linguistic Profiles in response to emerging realities and linguistic needs in the public sector.  

"The main goal of the Decree is to guarantee the linguistic rights of all citizens in all Administrations and throughout the public sector, and to deepen the use of Basque. It also allows public institutions to establish more tailored linguistic profiles for specific positions and to manage them flexibly. We want to provide citizens with the best possible public service: we want to guarantee citizens’ linguistic rights, placing people at the centre. We continue to make progress in the use of Basque, and we continue—and will continue—developing the necessary tools to achieve this," stressed Bengoetxea.

Subsidies for Basque and cultural heritage

The Governing Council today approved a call for subsidies to increase the use of Basque in media outlets that mainly use Spanish. One million euros will be allocated to promoting Basque in these media.

In addition, a call for €100,000 has been approved for the cataloguing, digitisation, conservation, and dissemination of Basque cultural heritage. The aim is to promote the description and digitization of Basque cultural heritage for its later dissemination through Euskariana—the Digital Portal of Basque Culture—thereby facilitating its circulation and transmission to future generations.

Thirdly, the Council of Government today approved a call for four research grants, each worth €10,000, related to archival collections and documentary heritage preserved in the Basque Historical Archive. In total, the Basque Government will allocate €40,000 to fund these projects, with the aim of fostering research into the Basque documentary heritage held in the Basque Historical Archive.

Other matters approved by the Governing Council

The Governing Council has given the green light to the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Basque Government and the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council to finance the promotion of Gasteiz as the seat of the common institutions of the Autonomous Community of Euskadi.

The Government Spokesperson and Minister of the Department of Governance, Digital Administration, and Self-Government, Maria Ubarretxena, stated that the signing of the aforementioned collaboration agreement entails a maximum contribution of €50,000,000, amounting to €12,500,000 annually for the years 2025–2028.

"The subsidy is intended, among other purposes, to maintain the urban environment in optimal conditions, to ensure the safety of citizens and of those who visit the city for various reasons, as well as to cover other expenses and investments aimed at improving public services in general," she explained.

The Basque Government has approved in the Council of Government the formalisation of Euskadi’s candidacy as a Member of the Advisory Board of the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM-Report) through the signing of a collaboration agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the corresponding subsidy.

Euskadi’s participation in this forum represents an opportunity to highlight Basque educational policy and positions the territory as a reference in addressing certain educational policies of mutual interest, such as segregation, inclusion, attention to diversity, and educational innovation.

In turn, the Governing Council today approved the second amendment to the agreement of 20 December 2022, by which a direct subsidy was granted to the Orduña City Council for urban regeneration and the rehabilitation of buildings in the Landatas and Maria Dolores Madaria neighbourhoods.

"The aid, amounting to just over two million euros, is part of the BERPIZTU program and aims to promote the Opengela regeneration model, aligned with the commitments of the Basque Urban Agenda Bultzatu 2050, which advocates sustainability, energy efficiency, and improved accessibility," the spokesperson explained.

The project includes the rehabilitation of 12 buildings comprising a total of 126 dwellings.

According to Ubarretxena, the Basque Government, through the Department of Welfare, Youth and Demographic Challenge, has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Equality to improve coordination and effectiveness in assisting victims of discrimination and hate crimes on the basis of LGTBIphobia.

"Thanks to this agreement, calls made to the national 028 Rainbow service from Euskadi will be automatically redirected to the regional helpline 900 840 128, managed by the Basque Government,” she stressed.

This agreement reflects the Basque Government’s commitment to placing the reality of LGTBIQ+ people at the centre of public equality policies.

Also in this area, the Governing Council authorised the signing of an inter-institutional agreement between the Basque Government, Osakidetza–Basque Health Service, the Provincial Council of Álava, and the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, with the goal of launching in the autumn "Barnahus", the pilot model of comprehensive and specialised care for children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence.

"The pilot project, to be developed in Álava, seeks to offer a consistent and coordinated response that integrates the health, education, social, police, and judicial systems," the spokesperson noted.

Another measure approved today by the Governing Council was the call for aid to fishing companies to host student training placements aboard fishing vessels.  The Basque Government will allocate €105,000 to the Itsasoratu programme, which aims to promote practical training within the realities of the fishing sector, enabling fishing companies to take on students from vocational maritime-fishing programs, with financial support to cover costs incurred during each training period at sea.

Finally, the Governing Council approved a direct subsidy of €1,000,000 to the Eibar City Council for the Made in Eibar project. This project is intended for the creation and development of a comprehensive tourism product.