The Basque Government published a survey 10 days ago that practically copied the distribution of seats left by the April Basque Parliament elections, with a slight increase for the PNV (from 27 to 28), EH Bildu located in its current 27 seats and, Consequently, the two large nationalist formations settled above 72% of parliamentary representation. This Tuesday, the Basque Executive has published a Sociometer that confirms a persistent and apparently contradictory fact with the hegemony of the Basque nationalist or independence groups: the rejection of independence is at historic highs.
In the most nationalist Basque Country in terms of political representation, the ‘no’ to independence is at its highest registers and the yearning for independence at its lowest. This is a phenomenon that has been going on for years, which increased after the pandemic and which the first Sociometer with Imanol Pradales as Lehendakari has resoundingly confirmed.
Specifically, it is striking that rejection of the independence option has grown six points since March, going from 37% to 43% and standing above the previous ceiling, which was registered after the pandemic, 40% in 2021 and 2022. In parallel with this rejection of the independence option, the percentage of those who declare themselves in favor of this option also drops, from 22% to 19%.
In any case, the reading cannot be understood without considering the very pronounced drop recorded after the pandemic in those who answer ‘ns/nc’, which have gone from a maximum of 16% in 2019 to just 5%. If during the first decade of this century those who responded in these terms ranged between 10% and 16%, in recent years, after the covid, they are between 5% and 8%.
Pradales and Otxandiano approve
On the other hand, the first Sociometer of the ‘Pradales era’ places the current Lehendakari as the best rated leader, with almost half a point more than eight months ago, going from 4.9 to 5.4. Just behind is Pello Otxandiano, spokesperson for EH Bildu in the Basque Parliament, with a 5.3, a score he has maintained since February.
The last pro-independence candidate for lehendakari, however, is still little known to public opinion: only 51% of those surveyed say they know him. This same percentage is the one who says they know Eneko Andueza, leader of the PSE, and who would obtain a rating of 4.4. The rest of the leaders of the parties represented in the Basque Parliament do not exceed 40% knowledge (a figure reached by Javier de Andrés, from the PP) and all of them fail.
Regarding the main problems spontaneously identified by the respondents and codified by the interviewers, at the top is a heading that includes ‘problems linked to the labor market’, cited by 45% of those surveyed as one of their three main concerns. This problem, which has traditionally included unemployment, however, has plummeted as the first concern since the previous economic crisis and only in the last year and a half has it dropped nine points.
Also Housing or immigration
Concern about housing, on the other hand, has skyrocketed, going from 25% to 38%. In third place is concern about the situation of the Basque Health System, which drops from 35% to 32%.
Crime, meanwhile, appears as the fourth concern mentioned by those surveyed, going from 12% to 19%. In fourth place is concern about immigration, which reaches 16%, after a growth of 11 points in just eight months and reaching the highest point in the historical series.
In fifth and sixth place, finally, are concerns about ‘economic problems’ and the ‘political situation, politicians and political conflict’.
Source: www.lavanguardia.com
