The scrutiny of the Basque elections this Sunday has revealed a tough fight between PNV and EH Bildu for first position that has continued throughout the night. With 99% counted, the party of Pello Otxandiano and that of Imanol Pradales tie at 27 seats, after elections in which participation has increased to reach 62.5% and abstention has remained at 37.5% .
The PNV is, however, the force with the most votes, achieving nearly 30,000 more votes than the pro-independence coalition, despite the fact that the latter registers historic growth and goes from 21 seats in 2020 to the current 27. Those of Pradales reach 35.24% of the votes, compared to 32.46% of EH Bildu. However, Pradales will be lehendakari by adding his seats to the 12 of the PSE-EE.
Several surveys have pointed in recent weeks to the struggle between the two sovereignist forces and there have been some that have placed EH Bildu ahead, which would have broken the until now immovable hegemony of the PNV as the party with the most votes in Euskadi since the restoration of democracy. He also won four years ago, when the nationalists obtained 39.1% of the votes, which translated into 31 seats, while EH Bildu kept 27.9% and 21 representatives.
In third place is the PSE-EE, which until now has governed in coalition with the PNV. Those of Eneko Andueza obtain 14.22% of the votes and 12 seats and register growth compared to the results of 2020, when the socialists obtained 13.6% of the votes and 10 seats. In this scenario, the alliance of PNV and PSE-EE maintains an absolute majority of 39 seats.
The PSE is followed by the PP, which takes 9.22% of the votes and 7 seats. The Popular Party thus improves the result of 2020, when they obtained the worst figure in history with only 8.69% of support, which was transformed into 6 seats in the Vitoria parliament. Furthermore, Sumar (with 3.34% of the votes) enters the new Basque Parliament and Vox maintains one seat, with 2.04% of the votes. Elkarrekin Podemos (with 2.25% of the support) remains, however, outside the new regional chamber.
By historical territories, the PNV is the leading force in Bizkaia and EH Bildu in Gipuzkoa and Álava. As for the capitals, the PNV wins in Bilbao and Donostia while EH Bildu leads in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Source: www.eldiario.es
