The 45th anniversary of the creation of the Basque Autonomous Community has been commemorated, recalling the difficult initial years of building a country after a long dictatorship. At that time, although enthusiasm and hope were predominant, there were also doubts and uncertainty, and the risk of a democratic regression was evident.
The early 1980s were particularly harsh. Political violence reached its peak, with actions by armed groups causing the deaths of almost a hundred people. In addition, far-right groups also used violence, killing almost twenty people. In this context, the attempted coup d'état in Spain also occurred, jeopardizing the country's stability.
“"The country was devastated in all aspects: cultural, linguistic, infrastructural, economic, subjected to tremendous fiscal plundering… it needed urgent medicine."
The first lehendakari had to manage several serious crises, such as the tragic gas explosion at a school in Ortuella, where 50 schoolchildren and 3 adults died, and the devastating floods of 1983, which left 34 fatalities and extensive material damage. Added to all this was the impact of the 1973 and 1979 oil crises and industrial decline.
The initial government lacked structures, personnel, headquarters, capital, or sufficient resources. The Basque Autonomous Community was born without economic self-government and was absolutely unbalanced in this regard. However, thanks to the political vision and negotiating skills of the first lehendakari, an agreement was reached to re-establish the Economic Agreement for Euskadi in December 1980, although it was not definitively approved until May 1981.
