The Basque Country (pdf, 4,3Mb) - Kultura Saila - Euskadi.net

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Today, however, Iparralde is undergoing an awakening in many
senses. 1994 saw the creation of Garapen Kontseilua (development
council which brings together a number of social agents) and in
1995, Hautetsien Kontseilua (council of elected officials). The
aim of these bodies is to promote agreement on government and
economic issues, and between community and business leaders.
An outcome of these processes was the 1996 territorial planning
scheme “Schéma dʼ Aménagement et de Développement du Pays
Basque”, a comprehensive regeneration project which has led to
such programmes as “Hitzarmen Berezia” in 2000.
However, there is a lack of consensus on four sensitive demands:
a Department of the Basque Country, a technology university, coofficial
language status for Euskara, and a farmerʼs association
(Laborantza Ganbara) not attached to Bearn. There is greater
consensus on these issues among business leaders, pro-Basques,
Socialists and Nationalists.
Cross-border cooperation is another challenge for Iparralde and
Hegoalde. Such precedents as the Baiona-Donostia Euro-city and
border town consortiums call for the need for a Basque Euroregion,
particularly in terms of culture, relations and economic issues.
Sara Town Hall, Lapurdi.
2007 legislative elections in Iparralde
PARTY 1 st round % 2 nd round %
UMP 43,8 51,9
UDF-MDémocrate 13,2 8,5
PS 21,5 39,4
Euskal Herria Bai (AB, EA and Batasuna) 8,1
Rest: PCF, LCR, VERTS, CPN, FN and others 11,3
TOTAL 100 100
Abstention 37,6 38,9
Source: Berria 12/19-06-2007
With regard to elections in continental Euskal Herria, support for
the conservative right remains the same, while social democracy
is on the rise. There is a slow increase in nationalism, which has
experiencing a shift from its traditional divisions in light of the
results attained in 2002 by Abertzaleen Batasuna (AB). Above and
beyond party lines, cultural Basque identity is on the rise.