The President of the Basque Country presents his proposal for a ‘Pact for the exemplary exercise of politics in the Basque Country’.

• The document sets out a ten-step plan of action, with a particular focus on the role of political leaders as role models. Considering the current policy of 'tension and polarisation', which is at odds with the views of the citizens, the President of the Basque Country has called for a 'qualitative leap' in this area.
• The proposal will be presented to the Basque Parliament for discussion and approval. As Pradales stated, the objective is for all parties to adopt the proposal as their own.

This morning, the President of the Basque Country presided over the traditional first Governing Council in the Miramar Palace, which marks the start of the political year. During the meeting, Imanol Pradales presented his proposal for a 'Pact for the exemplary exercise of politics in the Basque Country'. The President has sent a document to the political forces with which he held his first round of contacts and has also shared it today with the councillors of the executive.

Imanol Pradales stated: “It is imperative that we take a quantum leap forward. To this end, I propose that we sign a Pact for the exercise of politics in the Basque Country as a first step. A commitment to exemplary political activity in our Country. I also conveyed this message to the leaders of the main political parties active in the Country at the meetings held in July in Ajuria Enea. We are taking another step towards this goal today. I presented a preliminary document to the Governing Council, which will be forwarded to the Basque Parliament for consideration by the political parties. The objective is to refine and finalise the document for ratification.”

The President believes it is crucial for citizens to have confidence in politics. To achieve this, it is vital to focus on the behaviour of political agents, as the actions of Basque representatives have the greatest impact on confidence levels. Pradales stated that certain principles are non-negotiable, including honesty, respect, responsibility, a vocation for public service, loyalty, the search for the common good, and transparency.

“I believe that the Basque Country offers a solid foundation for our operations. We practise a more constructive approach to politics, characterised by agreements between different parties, greater respect for our opponents, and calmer debates. These are hallmarks of our identity. However, it is essential to foster this approach to politics daily, in everything that we do," Pradales explained the objective of his proposal, which outlines a ten-step plan of commitments to establish minimum standards of political conduct through non-negotiable principles such as honesty, respect and the pursuit of the common good.

Other messages

Pradales informed the Council that he had conveyed several messages to the councillors in view of the forthcoming political activity. He requested that they provide comprehensive and detailed reports on their planned actions over the coming years during their appearances in the Basque Parliament.

Furthermore, the President allotted a brief portion of his address to commemorating the Basque individuals who have perished for various reasons throughout the summer season and extended his deepest sympathies to their families and loved ones.