Otegi: “Today’s minimum revolutionary programme is the redistribution of wealth, the self-determination of peoples, a feminist agenda, a joint action against climate change, decisive resistance against authoritarianism, a pro-peace attitude and the launch of a civic and anti-oligarchic political-economic project”.
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Arnaldo Otegi was the guest in the fourth edition of transform! europe’s webinar series Meeting the Left. He is the General Coordinator of Euskal Herria (EH) Bildu, the progressive and pro-soverignity coalition in the Basque Country, which unites different sectors and parties of the Basque left.
Without having high expectations, EH Bildu allowed through abstention in the vote of confidence the formation of the government of Pedro Sánchez in January this year, Otegi explained. EH Bildu decided to take this step for four main reasons: facilitating the finding of democratic solutions of the national-structural problems of the Spanish state, defending workers’ rights, stopping neoliberalism and promoting peace and coexistence. “The government must now decide what it wants. EH Bildu will not be satisfied with aesthetic changes.”
Referring to the European Union’s response to the Corona crisis, Otegi said that the crisis has revealed its failure: “The EU’s response has been shameful. It failed to give a collective response.” He added: “There was no common project in the EU beyond the economic-financial goals. This is why we need another Europe.”
Otegi stressed that the crisis provides the opportunity to resume the ideological battles of which we thought were lost. But people now need answers. The severeness of the situation demands from us as leftists to take clear positions without expecting short-term electoral advantages.
This crisis has generated great uncertainty and it is up to us to provide certainty. We must respond to these feelings of uncertainty among the people and, “give an alternative order – alternative, but also order”, he stressed.
In conclusion, Otegi emphasized that we must be able to unite. Various leftist initiatives are emerging but instead of entering into a lengthy debate, the left must rather agree and act on a minimum agenda with social actors and trade unions. Sharing spaces and agreeing on a basic programme, Otegi stressed: “What would be the minimum revolutionary programme at the moment? Redistribution of wealth, self-determination of peoples, a feminist agenda, a joint action against climate change, decisive resistance against authoritarianism, a pro-peace attitude, the launch of a civic and anti-oligarchic political-economic project.
This is what EH Bildu is doing, both in the Basque Country and in Europe. Rather than hoisting flags, EH Bildu demands state structures in the Basque Country which respond to the needs of the people.”