Politics María Chivite revalidates the presidency of Navarra with the abstention of Bildu, who raises his demands

“The session resumes on this August 15, the feast of the paradoxes of life, the Assumption of Mary.” White smoke in Pamplona. María Chivite becomes the first woman to preside over two consecutive legislatures in Navarra. The socialist leader managed this Tuesday to carry out the investiture thanks to the support that the PSN has from Geroa Bai and Contigo-Zurekin (Podemos and IU), with whom she will share government, and the abstention of EH Bildu, necessary to obtain the green light from the courts.

In fact, the abertzale left has had in its hand over the last few days the future of the tripartite commanded by Chivite. It was precisely his abstention that prevented the inauguration by absolute majority from prospering this Monday and forcing the PSN to seek the approval of the Chamber through a simple majority in the second vote: he only needed more yeses than noes.

And there was no surprise in the Parliament of Navarra. As planned, Chivite achieved the investiture by the minimum: 21 votes in favor (eleven from PSN, seven from Geroa Bai and three from Contigo-Zurekin), nine abstentions (all from EH Bildu) and 20 votes against (15 from UPN , three from the PP and two from Vox). Exactly one vote difference, as in 2019. So, the seven parliamentarians of EH Bildu divided their vote: seven wrote abstenzioa on their ballot, and two ez, to give the fair and necessary support, neither more nor less, to Chivite to be Chairwoman.

The abstention of the abertzale group en bloc on this occasion, granted after having the approval of the militancy and out of a sense of “responsibility”, shows the dependence that the socialists have on EH Bildu. In Arnaldo Otegi’s formation they know it, and that is why they have increased their demands. For EH Bildu it is already a “priority” to address the debate on a referendum in Navarra about its adherence to the “rest of the Basque territories”, a scenario that is outlined in the Constitution through the Fourth Transitory Provision that the right has been demanding for years suppress.

The Abertzale left also claims that this legislature that is now starting reaches the bottom of the linguistic question in Navarra and ends up recognizing Euskera as its own language in the foral community.

Chivite has shown some harmony with the second question, but completely closes the door to the first. During the investiture debate, he said he showed the “greatest respect” to the Basque language and promised to continue deepening the care of the “sociolinguistic reality” of Navarra, but he refused to put the debate on Navarre sovereignty on the table during this legislature, and limited their work points to what was agreed with Geroa Bai and Contigo-Zurekin in the pact sealed a week ago.

Chivite, after having passed the House exam, will take office this Thursday. Lehendakari Íñigo Urkullu is scheduled to attend the event, who was already present at the same event in 2019. His visit responds to the close relationship between the two regions and the presence of Geroa Bai – a brand that includes the PNV in Navarra, commanded by by the former president of the foral community Uxue Barkos- in the tripartite government.

Chivite’s inauguration is a boost for the PSOE at the national level, which Navarra retains after a critical 28-M for Ferraz in which he lost crucial enclaves for the party, such as Extremadura, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands or Aragon. The consolidation in the foral community, in the same way, comes on the eve of the PSOE trying to close an agreement to preside over the Congress of Deputies, whose constitution is celebrated in less than 48 hours. If he achieved control of the Lower House, Pedro Sánchez would take an important advantage over Alberto Núñez Feijóo to gather the necessary support to face an investiture.

On the opposite side, the right is already expressing at the national level the alliances achieved by the socialists in Navarra and the rapprochement with EH Bildu as a weapon with which to wear down the PSOE and warn that if Sánchez manages to get a new term in La Moncloa on track, it will be thanks to the support of nationalist and pro-independence formations, as it has done in Navarra in recent years.

With the Navarrese investiture completed, only the Region of Murcia remains to put its next government on track. The talks between the PP and Vox have been paralyzed for weeks, but the deadline to try to reach an agreement does not expire until September 7. If this is not achieved, the community will have to go through the polls again.