EH Bai places the Basque pro-independence movement again in the electoral map

11/06/07

Legislative elections in the French state, EH Bai coalition that groups Batasuna, Abertzaleen Batasuna and EA.

With 10,781 votes and more than 8% of the votes, Euskal Herria Bai managed to become the fourth force of Ipar Euskal Herria (North of the Basque Country under French occupation), behind the great state parties - UMP (Sarkozy's Wright wing party), PS (French socialist party) and UDF-Modem (right centre party of Bayrou).

Things have changed significantly since the previous appointment where the Basque pro-independence left appeared, the European of 2004, Herritarren Zerrenda surpassed the 5,000 votes, whereas AB was stumped in the candidacy of the Green ones, like EA and PNB, obtaining very bad results.

Adding the AB votes with and "Demokrazia Euskal Herriarentzat" (Basque pro-independence left ballot papers) ones, the votes obtained by the forces that call themselves pro-independence left ascended to about 8.600. With the votes obtained by PNV-EA in that occasion, the vote defined as Basque "nationalist" reached about 10.600.

Euskal Herria Bai has managed to fully surpass the vote of the Basque pro-independence left and also, although nearly, the one of the whole Basque nationalism, even without the help of the PNV, that has harvested a new electoral failure by bidding for the "centrists" candidates of Bayrou. Bayrou, although having gained excellent results in the presidential elections, has been clamorously deflated.

The candidate from Urruña Beñat Elizondo, emphasized that the votes obtained confirm that the pro-independence electorate welcomed the new coalition. He also added, "the context of these past few days cannot be avoided; the rupture of the cease-fire and non stop repression and arrests, it was not easy". Elizondo underlined that both the candidacies of EH Bai his program have been welcomed "with interest and respect" and that the obtained results demonstrate that little by little "we are making the Basque Country to be recognized as Country".