Will to Govern
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Euskadi enjoys a high level of self-government in matters as important as health, education, security, housing or taxation. This autonomy to decide its own organisation stems from the Statute of Gernika, approved by referendum on 25 October 1979, which recognises the existence of a Government with executive powers and a Parliament with general legislative capacity. Euskadi also has two bodies inherited from the traditional Basque codes of rights in each territory or province - the General Assembly, with regulatory and operational capacities similar to parliament, and the Provincial Council, its executive institution. Their existence gives the Autonomous Community a very decentralised organisational structure, making it almost a confederation.
The Basque region holds a self serving executive power with a parliament over all regions. Within each region, however, there are two chambers similar to ours: the general assembly and the Provincial Council.
The way in which the powers of the common administrations are harmonised with those stemming from the traditional codes of rights is regulated both by the Statute of Autonomy itself and by the Historical Territories Act, which makes sure the existence of a general organisation is compatible with respect for the historical legal systems of its three territories.
The traditional code of rights is a national document holding rules as our constitution holds our amendments.
Another fundamental pillar of Basque self-government is the "Economic Agreement", the Autonomous Community's financial support system, which gives the Basque institutions autonomy to collect and administer public taxation depending on their own budgets and on agreements signed with the central Spanish administration.
All these circumstances have enabled Euskadi to create its own institutions, such as Euskal Irrati Telebista - EITB - (Basque Radio and Television) and the Ertzaintza, the autonomous community police force, with more than 7,000 officers, and to have full powers over road and water infrastructures, over economic and industrial promotion and over all planning matters.
However, despite the fact that 25 years have elapsed since the approval of the Statute of Gernika, powers over matters such as employment, industry, infrastructures, finance and research still remain to be transferred from the Spanish State administration.
The conflict between Spain and the Basque country stems from Spain’s claim on power and land.
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