In politics, it's not just about presence or absence; sometimes, the most crucial question is from what standpoint one participates. Recently in Eibar, on April 14th, events were held to commemorate the proclamation of the Second Republic, which EAJ-PNV did not attend. This prompts a reflection on the framework being adopted, the narrative being reinforced, and, above all, the identity projected to the people.
The historical and symbolic value that the Republic holds for many people in our arms-producing city is acknowledged. It is part of a deeply rooted historical memory, with clear political significance and evident emotional attachment, all of which deserve our utmost respect. However, respecting does not necessarily imply adopting it as one's own. This raises a question: to what extent is this framework part of our political identity?
The Basque nationalist party does not originate from Spanish republicanism; moreover, it neither develops nor defines itself based on it. Its trajectory responds to its own tradition, founded on the affirmation of Euskadi as a nation and the defense of its historical rights. It is true that during the Republic, EAJ-PNV was a relevant actor and that significant progress was made in that context. But acknowledging that role does not oblige us to make that period the fundamental pillar of who we are.
If there is a moment when Basque nationalism was politically defined at that time, it is not 1931, but 1936: the creation of the first Basque Government under the leadership of José Antonio Aguirre. That is when a distinct project materialized, with its own institutions and a recognizable political direction.
The risk of participating in events based on the Republic lies not so much in the gesture itself, but in the symbolic framework that is reinforced. In that narrative, the main political subject is Spain, and Euskadi appears in a subordinate or derivative position. For a political formation whose raison d'être is precisely to affirm its own political subject, this position can generate discomfort or, at least, confusion.
Eibar has its memory, which is legitimate and must be respected. But EAJ-PNV has its own. They do not have to coincide, and it is perfectly acceptable to acknowledge this naturally. Politics does not demand symbolic similarities, but clarity in positions. One can respect a memory without adopting it as one's own. One can acknowledge the role of others without dissolving one's own.
Furthermore, it is worth remembering that EAJ-PNV's anti-Franco stance does not need to rely on other frameworks to legitimize itself. It was built from its own institutions, from the Basque Government, and from its own national idea. Figures like Manuel Irujo are the best examples: his time in republican governments was marked by the defense of fundamental rights and an ethical demand that, at certain times, led him to distance himself from practices he considered unacceptable. Paradoxically, the democratic Basque nationalist representatives always respected and legitimized the Republic and did not participate in the most turbulent episodes of Spanish politics of the era.
Even in agitated episodes like the Revolution of 1934, where significant sectors of socialism and the labor movement broke with the republican government itself, the jeltzales maintained their own position, separate from that insurrectionary dynamic. This particular trajectory is not a minor detail: it is part of a political identity built on coherence and uniqueness.
The people expect clarity. They know that EAJ-PNV is not a Spanish republican party, but a Basque nationalist party. Therefore, certain presences can generate more confusion than recognition, more noise than contribution. Not everything that adds visibility also adds identity.
In summary, none of this implies denying history or delegitimizing other political traditions. On the contrary: it is precisely about respecting them without appropriating them. To acknowledge their place without occupying it. Because in politics, as in life, coherence is not always about being everywhere, but about knowing well where it makes sense to be. And all of this, based on respect for others and democratic values.
EAJ-PNV is a party with 130 years of history, based on a clear and distinct political identity. Because a party is not defined by all the places it goes, but by those where it chooses to stay. And when that decision is clear, when identity is not weakened and the course is not negotiated, that is when real trust is generated. Today more than ever, we need clarity, coherence, and conviction. Not to confront anyone, but to be faithful to where we come from, what we are, and what we represent. Because a people that is clear about who it is does not need to borrow the stories of others to advance. It is time to be where it makes sense to be. To speak with our own criteria. To reinforce, without complexes, what defines us: a democratic Basque nationalist party that fights and will fight for Basque freedom, social justice, Basque culture and traditions, to defend Euskera, and to create a strong and solvent nation, for the good future of Euskadi. The future is built from coherence. Katea ez da eten.
