The parliamentary groups of PNV and EH Bildu have received many criticisms and reproaches this Tuesday for the PNV’s attitude to the initiative of the sovereign coalition in favour of raising minimum pensions, presented at Congress.

EH Bildu has presented at the plenary session a non-legislative proposal on pensions, which has been rejected by the joint groups of the Abertzale coalition. It received only 24 votes in favour, including those of ERC and EH Bildu. With 167 abstentions and the votes against pp, Vox and Cs, the proposal has not been put forward.

Abstention is the option chosen by the PSOE, the UN Podemos and the PNV, after negotiating throughout the afternoon a compromise amendment recognizing that there was no agreement. According to EH Bildu, the agreement between the two parties comprising the Government of Spain and the sovereign coalition had already been reached, but the PNV did not allow the vote on this compromise amendment. Eh Bildu regretted the "incomprehensible rejection of the PNV's proposal by the Abertzale left". This attitude, he added, is also contrary to "the extension of the rights of pensioners in the Basque Country".

Following the version of EH Bildu, the annulled amendment proposed raising minimum and non-contributory pensions according to the criteria of the European Social Charter. It also established the "commitment" of the Spanish Government to "transfer the economic regime of social security to Basque institutions", although the PNV has given priority to "partisan interests", according to the coalition.

Congressional spokesman Aitor Esteban underlined that EH Bildu is a movement towards the next regional elections on 5 April. In his view, the coalition has made "electioneering" with its proposal this Tuesday, "an issue as sensitive as the sustainability of the pension system and pensioners."

For the PNV spokesman, EH Bildu has questioned and "at risk" the transfer of the economic system of Social Security. In the debate in the plenary of Congress he added that the sovereigns have acted clumsily because he has already defended one of the principles contained in the Gernika Statute: "A right that is in the Statute is not voted on in this House," said Esteban, who recalled that this transfer is channelled into dialogue between state administrations and the CAV.