The PNV remains only in defense of the gas survey in Álava and Vitoria-Gasteiz
- All opposition groups in the City Hall of Vitoria-Gasteiz on Tuesday asked the municipal government PNV-PSE not to grant the license to investigate the presence of gas in the Armentia-2 well of Vitoria-Gasteiz. On Wednesday, at the General Meetings of Álava, the PSE also voted against the exploitation of the gas well. Next week a motion will be discussed in the City Hall of Vitoria-Gasteiz, and then it will be seen if the breakdown between the PSE and the PNV materialises. The Berriztu movement has called for a protest this Saturday at noon against the exploitation of fossil fuels and in favour of another energy model.
The PNV is experiencing a very complicated week in terms of the steps it is taking to drive gas extraction. The public hydrocarbon company SHESA of the Basque Government, which for years promoted fraking, intends to obtain permits to extract gas in the Armentia-2 well of Subijana, located on the grounds of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The environmental movement has denounced that many other wells that have not been recovered could arrive after that of Armentia 2. The PNV wants to assert that it governs the Alavesa Council and the City Hall of Vitoria-Gasteiz, but in a week it has remained in a notorious minority in both institutions.
The City of Vitoria-Gasteiz against
On Tuesday, the mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Gorka Uraran, spoke at the municipal climate action commission. It defended gas extraction as a "transition" towards 100% renewable energy: "It's the best energy for transition," he added. SHESA has asked the City Hall for permission to investigate the presence of natural gas in the well and has been in favour of doing so in Uraran, claiming the "right" of the citizens to know if there is gas. All opposition groups (EH Bildu, Elkarrekin and PP, which governs with the PSE in Vitoria-Gasteiz in a minority) were in favour of not granting permission. The current General Urban Management Plan does not allow the granting of this license, and at this time the municipal government has no majority to modify it.
Against the General Boards of Álava
However, the biggest blow has been received by the PNV on Wednesday. The plenary session of the General Boards of Álava rejected the project to exploit the gas raft in the Basque Country. The motion was first tabled by EH Bildu, after the PSE has tabled amendments to replace it, the PSE, EH Bildu and Elkarrekin Podemos voted in favour. Pp abstained and only the PNV voted against.
The General Boards of Álava have refused to investigate and exploit the Armentia-2 gas well in the Ebro area. The motion calls on the competent institutions to "defend Vitoria's best interest in any request for a licence for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in Subijana, in compliance with the current regulations". It has called on the Congress of Deputies to adopt the Climate Change and Energy Transition Act as soon as possible to "prohibit new authorisations for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation activities". The adoption of this law would therefore be decisive. Finally, he has asked the Basque Government to support a new energy model and "update the 2030 Energy Strategy of the Basque Country" to deepen it.
The motion adopted at the General Meetings of Álava has no practical effect, as the Deputy lacks competence in this matter, but politically it is very significant: A public gap between the PSE and the PNV, which govern together in the Basque Government. If the gap becomes a fracture, it will be seen next week in the plenary of the City of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The motion on the Subijana well will be discussed by the political groups, and the PSE will have to state its position on it.
Saturday, the mobilisation will take place in Bilbao
On Tuesday, following statements by the mayor, the Berriztu platform offered a press conference against the municipal government of the PNV-PSE in Donostia-San Sebastián. "Behind the seemingly innocuous Armentia-2 exploration raft, there is a great plan that has consequences on hundreds of thousands of hectares," said the environmental movement. Under the well is the aquifer of Subijana, "the largest water reserve in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country", whose exploitation could jeopardize this situation. In any case, they assured that the PNV’s intentions go beyond Armentia 2: "The Subijana is not an isolated well, but the first step towards making hundreds of wells in the Basque territory." At 13:00, in Plaza Nueva, Berriz called the citizens to mobilize. Another energy model facing climate change.
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