In the Basque Country, tensions have escalated between the PNV and the Socialists, who have governed the region in coalition since 2016. The cause was a PSE-EE social media post featuring an AI-generated image of the nationalist leader Aitor Esteban. The photo shows the politician jumping into a pool—an act that provoked a sharp reaction from the PNV, who called the publication unacceptable and announced the cancellation of a scheduled meeting with representatives of the Socialists and PSOE.
The situation has become more complicated amid ongoing disagreements over the reform of the Statute of Autonomy and the requirement for civil servants to speak Basque. The language issue has become central in negotiations between the parties. According to sources, the canceled meeting was to be held in Bilbao with the participation of Aitor Esteban, PSE Secretary Eneko Andueza, his deputy Miguel Ángel Morales, and Ferraz representative Antonio Hernando. The meeting was scheduled as a routine event but is now at risk because of the public scandal.
Language dispute and political accusations
The escalation began after Esteban’s interview on Euskadi Irratia, where he reported progress in negotiations over the new Statute. In response, the Socialists published an ironic comment about ‘water in the pool’ for the new document and accompanied it with the AI-generated image. The PNV saw this as an insult and accused their coalition partners of lacking respect. In the nationalists’ statement, they stressed that such actions are unacceptable during sensitive negotiations.
At the center of the dispute is the requirement for mandatory Basque language proficiency to work in government institutions. Esteban stated that the PNV is preparing an initiative to amend the civil service law, while, according to him, the Socialists are unwilling to compromise. He noted that if one side is not ready to discuss the details, reaching an agreement is impossible. Nationalists fear that a lack of flexibility will lead to a society divided along linguistic lines.
Court decisions and alternative proposals
In recent years, courts have repeatedly overturned regional and municipal regulations requiring Basque proficiency for positions in government bodies. The most notable was the 2023 Constitutional Court decision, which declared the prioritization of the Basque language in municipalities illegal. Nationalists and their supporters consider this to be pressure on the regional language. Esteban recently stated that the judicial system is overstepping its authority by interfering in language policy.
Currently, two main initiatives to protect the Basque language are under discussion: the PNV proposes that each administration independently determine the required level of language proficiency, while EH Bildu insists on equality between Spanish and Basque. The Socialists, in turn, believe that the PNV is yielding to Bildu, which could lead to complete freedom to set linguistic standards at the local level.
Political context and party reactions
In a PSE-EE statement, it is noted that Esteban’s optimism about the Statute reform coincided with a difficult period for his party. The Socialists accuse the nationalists of abandoning previous agreements and tightening Basque language requirements, aligning themselves with EH Bildu’s position. According to PSE-EE, issues of autonomy and language require a serious approach and should not be used as tools in political games.
The conflict between the parties has also raised concerns in Madrid, where the situation is being closely monitored. As RUSSPAIN notes, such debates over language policy and autonomy have repeatedly led to tensions between regional and central authorities, as can also be seen in the example of the harsh statements made by the former King of Spain about the government’s role.
