Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left

Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left
Euskadiko Alderdi Sozialista – Euskadiko Ezkerra
LeaderEneko Andueza
Founded26 March 1977 (1977-03-26) (PSE)
27 April 1993 (1993-04-27) (PSE–EE)[1]
HeadquartersC/ Alameda de Rekalde, 27, 4ª
48009, Bilbao
Membership (2014)5,250[2]
IdeologySocial democracy
Basque regionalism
Federalism
Political positionCentre-left
National affiliationSpanish Socialist Workers' Party
ColoursRed, White
Basque Parliament
10 / 75
Congreso de los Diputados (Basque seats)
5 / 18
Spanish Senate (Basque seats)
4 / 15
Juntas Generales
21 / 153
Local seats (2015-2019)
203 / 2,628
Mayors
9 / 251
[3]
Website
www.socialistasvascos.com Edit this at Wikidata

The Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (Basque: Euskadiko Alderdi Sozialista – Euskadiko Ezkerra, Spanish: Partido Socialista de Euskadi – Euskadiko Ezkerra, PSE-EE) is a social-democratic[4][5] political party in the Basque Country that acts as the regional affiliate of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).

History

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Although local Socialist groups had been active since 1886, and many affiliated with the PSOE (being Biscay one of the strongholds of Spanish social democracy, along with Madrid and Asturias), the PSE was actually established as a branch of the main party only in 1977, during the Spanish transition to democracy, initiated by King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

PSE-EE offices have been targeted by undercover attackers, like this one in Bilbao.

During the violent years of the 1980s in the Basque Country, mid- and high-ranking party officials held government positions in Spain and the region, as civil governors. The Basque nationalist left—Herri Batasuna and related groups—denounced during that period the collusion of the party with police abuses—especially pointing to the Guardia Civil—and in early 1984 blamed directly the Socialists for the state terrorism of the GAL death squads (1984-1987).[6]

In the early 1990s, some of them were convicted for their participation in it.[7] Ricardo Damborenea, head of the party in Biscay, even confessed in a press release to his involvement in the criminal pursuit in the early 1990s. All of them have been released from prison much earlier than their due term without apologising for their illegal actions; Damborenea currently gets a substantial monthly allowance from the Spanish state.[8]

It has local associations in Gipuzkoa, Biscay, and Álava. Before June 1982, it also included a Navarre branch - which formed the Socialist Party of Navarre, PSN (PSOE).

Initially in a close alliance with the Basque Country Left (EE), a party connected with Basque nationalism, begun in 1991 with a move promoted by the respective secretaries - Ramón Jáuregui for the PSE and Mario Onaindia for the EE. It aimed to become the major Basque force in the 1993 election. The fusion of the two groups was made possible by the split of Basque Left from EE: prepared by the leadership of Nicolás Redondo Terreros (1998–2002), it was confirmed with the mandate of Patxi López in 2002.

During the 2012 elections to the parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community, the PSE-EE came up third in number of MPs (16), lagging behind the Basque Nationalist Party and EH Bildu. Throughout its recent history, it fluctuated between second and third, depending on the success of the People's Party or the Abertzale Left).

Electoral performance

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Basque Parliament

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Basque Parliament
Election Leading candidate Votes % Seats +/– Government
1980 Txiki Benegas 130,221 14.16 (#3)
9 / 60
 9 Opposition
1984 247,786 22.96 (#2)
19 / 75
 10 Opposition
1986 252,233 21.95 (#1)
19 / 75
 0 Coalition
1990 Ramón Jáuregui 202,736 19.79 (#2)
16 / 75
 3 Opposition
(1990–1991)
Coalition
(1991–1994)
1994 174,682 16.83 (#2)
12 / 75
 10[a] Coalition
(1994–1998)
Opposition
(1998)
1998 Nicolás Redondo 220,052 17.35 (#4)
14 / 75
 2 Opposition
2001 253,195 17.76 (#3)
13 / 75
 1 Opposition
2005 Patxi López 274,546 22.51 (#2)
18 / 75
 5 Opposition
2009 318,112 30.36 (#2)
25 / 75
 7 Minority
2012 212,809 18.89 (#3)
16 / 75
 9 Opposition
2016 Idoia Mendia 126,420 11.86 (#4)
9 / 75
 7 Coalition
2020 122,248 13.52 (#3)
10 / 75
 1 Coalition
2024 Eneko Andueza 150,752 14.09 (#3)
12 / 75
 2 TBD

Cortes Generales

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Cortes Generales
Election Basque Country
Congress Senate
Votes % # Seats +/– Seats +/–
1977 267,897 26.48% 2nd
7 / 21
 —
1 / 12
 —
1979 190,235 19.05% 2nd
5 / 21
 2
1 / 12
 0
1982 348,620 29.16% 2nd
8 / 21
 3
5 / 12
 4
1986 287,918 26.29% 2nd
7 / 21
 1
4 / 12
 1
1989 233,650 21.11% 2nd
6 / 21
 1
5 / 12
 1
1993 293,442 24.52% 1st
7 / 19
 1[b]
7 / 12
 2[b]
1996 298,499 23.67% 2nd
5 / 19
 2
5 / 12
 2
2000 266,583 23.31% 3rd
4 / 19
 1
1 / 12
 4
2004 339,751 27.22% 2nd
7 / 19
 3
5 / 12
 4
2008 430,690 38.14% 1st
9 / 18
 2
9 / 12
 4
2011 255,013 21.55% 3rd
4 / 18
 5
2 / 12
 7
2015 161,988 13.25% 4th
3 / 18
 1
0 / 12
 2
2016 164,255 14.23% 3rd
3 / 18
 0
0 / 12
 0
2019 (Apr) 253,989 19.90% 2nd
4 / 18
 1
2 / 12
 2
2019 (Nov) 227,396 19.21% 2nd
4 / 18
 0
2 / 12
 0
2023 289,826 25.27% 1st
5 / 18
 1
4 / 12
 2

European Parliament

[edit]
European Parliament
Election Basque Country
Votes % #
1987 204,522 19.05% 3rd
1989 175,776 18.25% 3rd
1994 165,063 18.26% 2nd
1999 226,187 19.54% 3rd
2004 199,341 28.23% 2nd
2009 202,885 27.78% 2nd
2014 105,043 13.81% 3rd
2019 212,881 18.98% 3rd

Notes

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  1. ^ Compared to the combined totals of the Socialist Party of the Basque Country and Euskadiko Ezkerra in the 1990 regional election.
  2. ^ a b Compared to the combined totals of the Socialist Party of the Basque Country and Euskadiko Ezkerra in the 1989 general election.

References

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  1. ^ "Registro de Partidos Políticos". servicio.mir.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  2. ^ Unos 197.400 militantes elegirán al líder del PSOE, 45.600 en Andalucía. Canal Sur, 13/06/2014.
  3. ^ El nuevo escenario municipal en Euskadi. El País. San Sebastián 13 JUN 2015.
  4. ^ Gabriel Gatti; Ignacio Irazuzta; Iñaki Martínez de Albeniz (1 January 2005). Basque Society: Structures, Institutions, and Contemporary Life. University of Nevada Press. pp. 177–. ISBN 978-1-877802-25-6.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "Basque Country/Spain". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Dirigentes de Herri Batasuna relacionan a altos funcionarios policiales con los GAL". El País. 4 January 1984.
  7. ^ "Juicio por el secuestro de Segundo Marey". El Mundo.
  8. ^ "Más de 2,5 millones al año en pensiones y complementos". Público. 9 September 2011.
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