Yesterday's Euskaltzaleon March featured a full-day program, culminating in a large demonstration in the afternoon. Divided into three columns, euskaltzales (Euskera enthusiasts) took to the streets of Pamplona to demand everything necessary to live in Euskera. In the opening speeches of each column, the stark consequences of the lack of official status were highlighted, the content of 'Jauzia' (the Leap) was detailed, and euskaltzales were called to organize in their daily lives. The three mobilizations started from Runoa Park, Antoniutti, and Plaza de la Libertad, converging at Plaza del Castillo for the main event.
Idurre Eskisabel, the general secretary of Kontseilua, took the floor and thanked everyone present "from all over the territory of Euskera." She emphasized that Euskera and the community of speakers remain in a linguistic emergency. "We have been demanding for years that we want to live in Euskera. Insisting on the tiring daily effort to live in Euskera through personal initiative. But it is not enough," she stated. "Undoubtedly, the last decades have been decades of progress for Euskera. But it is not enough. Unfortunately, sociolinguistic data and trends, projections, show that this process has slowed down considerably; indeed, the risk of interruption and regression is high," she added.
Eskisabel explained that the issue with Euskera is structural, and therefore, the normalization and revitalization of Euskera require a profound change in power relations. "That is why we ask for everything necessary to live in Euskera. Beyond personal effort, to create the conditions to live in Euskera. Real conditions that go beyond the formal recognition of rights: political, social, cultural, material... Euskera needs a complete ecosystem; we must create a universe for Euskera," she said. Added to this are three foundations to begin building everything Euskera needs: a leap in language policies, full official status throughout the Basque Country, and a located, organized, and strong euskaltzale movement. Kontseilua states that Euskera's challenge for 2036 is to have 300,000 more Euskera speakers, doubling the current rate of Euskera acquisition.
The general secretary also advocated for a "located and organized euskaltzale movement": "A network of thousands of citizens that will seek and weave complicities to act as euskaltzales in daily life: at home, in the neighborhood, in the town, in schools, in workplaces, in euskera movement organizations, in sports and leisure groups, which will prioritize and nourish the Euskera cultural ecosystem... Let us take ownership, empower ourselves, and organize to give another Renaissance to Euskera," she urged.
The network of young euskaltzales set out from Urepel two days prior to join in Pamplona yesterday. Network members Xalbat Altzugaraik and Haize Lekuona stated that the initiative was undertaken to network, forge alliances, and continue the struggle for Euskera. "Linguistic rights are rights, and the goal of those who oppose them is to deny and suffocate our language, culture, and people, in essence, our identity. We young people who have joined the march are clear: we are Euskaldunes, young euskaltzales, and we have already taken up the torch of the struggle for Euskera," they affirmed.
They highlighted that young people are key to the Renaissance and expressed hope that the journey undertaken over three days will serve as an impetus for organizing in neighborhoods and towns and contributing to the struggle to create the country of Euskera.
At the event in Plaza del Castillo, Idurre Eskisabel recalled the upcoming appointments in the coming months. On November 21st, a demonstration will be held in Baiona to demand official status for Euskera in the French Basque Country, called by the Basque Confederation. On December 19th, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the law that established zoning in Navarre, Kontseilua has called for a major mobilization to demand an end to this discrimination and for Euskera to be official throughout Navarre.
