Juan José Ibarretxe, one of the PNV-EAJ (Basque Nationalist Party) leaders and lehendakari (Basque premier) since 1999, has announced today during the investiture he is to retire from politics. Patxi López, leader of the Basque Socialists (PSE-PSOE) will have the support of the Popular Party (PP, Spanish conservatives) and Union, Progress and Democracy (UpyD, Spanish unionists) to become president. For the first time, Spanish-oriented parties are to retain majority in the Basque parliament, partly due to the banning of the hardline pro-independence left.

A new political era -which pro-sovereignty parties deem as negative- is beginning in the Basque Country. Former lehendakari Ibarretxe stressed that PSE-PP deal will mark the prelude of the "subordination of Basque interests to Spain", and considered the government accord as a "Spanish state agreement". Ibarretxe had won previous elections in the Basque parliament, but in this occasion has not ben able to form a majority. He blamed the Political Parties Act -resulting in the banning of the leftist pro-independence lists of candidates which held 9 seats- for the new political scenario.

The non-violent left pro-independence party, Aralar, has accused Socialists and conservatives of forming an "excluding Spanish nationalist front", and has requested López to outline the steps he is to make to achieve peace. Aralar invited López "not to speak about peace" if he does not intend to explore ways to attain it. Spokeswoman for Aralar, Aintzane Ezenarro, insisted on the right of Basques to decide their future, "a matter that will continue to be a key issue despite the wish by some to keep it hidden".

Further information:

• EiTB: Ibarretxe anuncia que deja la polític
• Deia: El PSE y el PP critican el resentimiento de Ibarretxe y el PNV la falta de proyecto
• Berria: Ibarretxek politika uztea erabaki du
• diariovasco.com: Patxi López defiende la legitimidad de los votos del PP y recuerda el apoyo de Batasuna a Ibarretxe