BizkaiaGipuzkoaArabaVitoria-GasteizLlanada AlavesaRioja AlavesaMontaña AlavesaValles AlavesesCantábrica AlavesaEstribaciones del GorbeaDonostialdeaBidasoaTolosaldeaGoierriUrola KostaDebagoienaDebabarrenaGran BilbaoDurangaldeaLea-ArtibaiBusturialdeaUribe KostaEnkarterriArratia-NerviónMungialdeaBizkaiaGipuzkoaArabaVitoria-GasteizLlanada AlavesaRioja AlavesaMontaña AlavesaValles AlavesesCantábrica AlavesaEstribaciones del GorbeaDonostialdeaBidasoaTolosaldeaGoierriUrola KostaDebagoienaDebabarrenaGran BilbaoDurangaldeaLea-ArtibaiBusturialdeaUribe KostaEnkarterriArratia-NerviónMungialdea
EU|ES|EN
Diario Euskadi logo

Diario Euskadi

PNV Delays Candidate Selection for Vitoria and Álava Amidst Strategic Dilemma

The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) is deliberating between experienced figures and younger talent for its Vitoria mayoral and Álava general deputy candidacies.

Generic image of a stone town hall facade in Euskadi with a balcony and iron railings, afternoon sunlight.
IA

Generic image of a stone town hall facade in Euskadi with a balcony and iron railings, afternoon sunlight.

The PNV faces a strategic choice between experience and youth for its Vitoria mayoral and Álava general deputy candidacies, aiming to regain the mayoralty in a complex electoral landscape.

The PNV has postponed the decision regarding its candidates for mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz and general deputy of Álava. While the party has put forward younger profiles in Bilbao and San Sebastián, uncertainty persists in Vitoria. Despite the lack of urgency, the party recalls the negative repercussions of delaying candidate selection in 2022.
The situation in Vitoria-Gasteiz is critical. With EH Bildu poised for victory and a direct contest against the socialist Maider Etxebarria, the PNV requires a candidate capable of attracting more votes than its governing partner, the PSE, and of winning over voters from the PP and EH Bildu. The objective is to ascend from fourth place in 2023 to at least second place in 2027.
Beatriz Artolazabal appears to be largely ruled out, and the silence from the Araba Buru Batzar (ABB) is seen as detrimental to the party, mirroring the situation in 2023. The president of the party in Álava must now define the PNV's future vision for Vitoria-Gasteiz. Ramiro González, the current general deputy who will turn 65 in 2027, is mentioned as a potential candidate, though he prefers to focus on "governing."
If the PNV seeks a long-term strategy, it can look to its "cantera" (talent pool). Joseba Díez, the 33-year-old spokesperson for the PNV in the Basque Parliament, is a young and promising political asset, although his departure from Lakua to assume responsibilities in the Provincial Council or City Hall seems unlikely. Within the City Council, councilor Sonia Díaz de Corcuera is in the strongest position. In the Provincial Council, Saray Zarate, the deputy for Economic Development, is the most advanced candidate.
In a political fiction scenario, even former mayor Gorka Urtaran could be considered for the Provincial Council, though this appears improbable after his confrontation with the ABB. Other former mayors from Álava municipalities, such as Ander Añibarro, Laura Pérez Borinaga, and Anartz Gorrotxategi, also form part of the PNV's talent pool and hold significant positions.
The two PNV councilors from Álava in the Basque Government, Nerea Melgosa and Amaia Barredo, were born in 1970, the same year as Artolazabal and Díaz de Corcuera. However, it does not seem likely that they will transition to the Provincial Council or City Hall.
Historically, Vitoria-Gasteiz mayors have taken office at a relatively young age. Maider Etxebarria was the "oldest" mayor of the democratic era upon taking office at 46, contrasting with figures like Alfonso Alonso (32) and Mikel Hidalgo (33).

Related News