Basque Nationalist Party
The Basque Nationalist Party (Basque: Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea, EAJ [eus̺ko aldeɾdi jelts̻ale.a]; Spanish: Partido Nacionalista Vasco, PNV; French: Parti Nationaliste Basque, PNB; EAJ-PNV), officially Basque National Party in English, is a Basque nationalist and regionalist political party. The party is located in the centre of the political spectrum.
Basque Nationalist Party Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea (Basque) Partido Nacionalista Vasco (Spanish) Parti Nationaliste Basque (French) | |
|---|---|
| President | Andoni Ortuzar |
| Founder | Sabino Arana |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Headquarters | Sabin Etxea, Ibáñez de Bilbao, 16 Bilbao |
| Youth wing | Euzko Gaztedi |
| Membership (2021) | 21,782 |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Centre[A] |
| National affiliation | Geroa Bai (2011–present) CEUS (2019–present) |
| European affiliation | European Democratic Party |
| International affiliation | None, previously Alliance of Democrats |
| European Parliament group | Renew Europe |
| Colors | Red Green White |
| Congress of Deputies (Basque seats) | 5 / 18 |
| Spanish Senate (Basque seats) | 5 / 15 |
| European Parliament | 1 / 59 |
| Basque Parliament | 31 / 75 |
| Parliament of Navarre | 2 / 50 Within Geroa Bai |
| Juntas Generales | 54 / 153 |
| Mayors in the Basque Autonomous Community | 121 / 251 |
| Town councillors in the Basque Autonomous Community | 1,017 / 2,628 |
| Website | |
| www | |
^ A: It has been also positioned as a centre-left or a centre-right party. | |
The party is described as Christian-democratic, with social-democratic and conservative-liberal factions. In 2020 the party voted in favour of the investiture of the current Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, belonging to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party.
It operates in all the territories comprising the Basque Country: the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre in Spain, and in the French Basque Country. It also has delegations in dozens of foreign nations, specifically those with a major presence of Basque immigrants.
The EAJ-PNV was founded by Sabino Arana in 1895, which makes it the second oldest extant political party in Spain, after the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. The EAJ-PNV is the largest Basque nationalist party, having led the Basque Government uninterruptedly since 1979, except for a brief period between 2009 and 2012. In Navarre, it is part of the coalition Geroa Bai, which is currently a junior partner of the PSOE in the Navarrese regional government. Currently a member of the European Democratic Party, EAJ-PNV was previously a member of the European Free Alliance from 1999 to 2004. Earlier it had been affiliated with the European People's Party and the Christian Democrat International (from which it was expelled in 2000).
The current chairman of the EAJ-PNV is Andoni Ortuzar. The party's youth wing is Euzko Gaztedi. The EAJ-PNV's social offices are called batzokis, of which there are over 200 throughout the world. Since 1932, the party celebrates Aberri Eguna (Homeland Day) on Easter. Also, since 1977, it celebrates Alderdi Eguna (Party Day).