Juntas Generales
Encyclopedia
The Juntas Generales are representative assemblies
in the Southern Basque Country
that go back to the 14th century. The three main Juntas Generals in the Basque Country were - and are - the Juntas Generales of Biscay
, the Juntas Generales of Gipuzkoa and the Juntas Generales of Álava
.
They were part of an early form of democratic institutions. At the local level, the heads of households (male or female) would meet on Sundays after church at the church door in a meeting called elizate
(or anteiglesia in Spanish) to debate and decide on local issues. An elizate in turn would elect someone to represent the local community at the juntas, which existed from the district level right up to the provincial Juntas Generales.
After the First Carlist War
, the fueros were much weakened and eventually fully abolished after the Second Carlist War
in 1876. Although the Spanish Government of the time established the conciertos económicos involving low taxes, protective tariffs and self-collection of taxes not dissimilar to rights formerly enshrined in the fueros, the Juntas Generales ceased to exist as institutions.
Following the Spanish transition to democracy
in the 1970s the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
re-instated the Juntas Generales in Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Álava in 1979.
and had developed feudal
traditions and institutions in line with other European kingdoms of the time. As a result, it was largely excluded from the development of such early democratic institutions.
It did have a charter however, the 1841 Ley Paccionada de Fueros which Navarre managed to protect when the fueros of Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Álava were abolished in 1879.
and the Juntas Generales of Biscay, the Basque señoríos
met under the Oak of Gernika to swear they would respect the ancient laws of Biscay.
Of all historical Juntas Generales, this is perhaps the most widely known and important one as it was in Gernika the Spanish monarchs
were required to swear to uphold the Basque freedoms since the incorporation of Biscay and Gipuzkoa into the Kingdom of Castile
from 1200 onwards.
. Its 51 (90 in 1979 only) members, the batzarkideak (in Basque) or apoderados (in Spanish), are elected by the people of Biscay every four years alongside the municipal elections
.
Their duties are to:
The party political composition since 1979 has been as follows:
1Since the 1995 elections the EE has been part of the PSE (PSOE).
The lehendakari
of the Juntas Generales of Biscay has hailed from the Basque Nationalist Party
(PNV) since 1987:
Representative assembly
A representative assembly is a political institution in which a number of persons representing the population or privileged orders within the population of a state come together to debate, negotiate with the executive and legislate...
in the Southern Basque Country
Southern Basque Country
The Southern Basque Country is a term used to refer to the Basque territories within Spain as a unified whole.It does not exist as a political unit but includes the three provinces and two enclaves of the Basque Autonomous Community in the west, as well as the Chartered Community of Navarre to...
that go back to the 14th century. The three main Juntas Generals in the Basque Country were - and are - the Juntas Generales of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, the Juntas Generales of Gipuzkoa and the Juntas Generales of Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
.
They were part of an early form of democratic institutions. At the local level, the heads of households (male or female) would meet on Sundays after church at the church door in a meeting called elizate
Elizate
Elizate is a Basque term that refers to an early form of local government in the Basque Country which was particularly common in Biscay but also existed in the other provinces. It literally translates as "church door"...
(or anteiglesia in Spanish) to debate and decide on local issues. An elizate in turn would elect someone to represent the local community at the juntas, which existed from the district level right up to the provincial Juntas Generales.
Historical development
Little is known about the historical background of these local and regional institutions prior to the 14th century. Broadly speaking, two historical periods can be distinguished:- The period from the 14th century to 1876 when the Juntas Generales were abolished
- The period from 1979 to the present when the Juntas Generales were reinstated.
After the First Carlist War
First Carlist War
The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833-1839.-Historical background:At the beginning of the 18th century, Philip V, the first Bourbon king of Spain, promulgated the Salic Law, which declared illegal the inheritance of the Spanish crown by women...
, the fueros were much weakened and eventually fully abolished after the Second Carlist War
Second Carlist War
The Second Carlist War, or the War of the Matiners or Madrugadores , was a short civil war fought primarily in Catalonia by the Carlists under General Ramón Cabrera against the forces of the government of Isabella II...
in 1876. Although the Spanish Government of the time established the conciertos económicos involving low taxes, protective tariffs and self-collection of taxes not dissimilar to rights formerly enshrined in the fueros, the Juntas Generales ceased to exist as institutions.
Following the Spanish transition to democracy
Spanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
in the 1970s the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
The Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country is the legal document organizing the political system of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country' which includes the historical territories of Alava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. It forms the region into one of the autonomous communities envisioned in...
re-instated the Juntas Generales in Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Álava in 1979.
Navarre
Unlike the other Basque provinces, Navarre had evolved into the Kingdom of NavarreKingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
and had developed feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
traditions and institutions in line with other European kingdoms of the time. As a result, it was largely excluded from the development of such early democratic institutions.
It did have a charter however, the 1841 Ley Paccionada de Fueros which Navarre managed to protect when the fueros of Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Álava were abolished in 1879.
The Juntas Generales of Biscay
Both historically and currently, the Juntas Generales of Biscay are based in Gernika-Lumo, at the famous Casa de Juntas. Prior to the abolition of the foral lawsFuero
Fuero , Furs , Foro and Foru is a Spanish legal term and concept.The word comes from Latin forum, an open space used as market, tribunal and meeting place...
and the Juntas Generales of Biscay, the Basque señoríos
Basque señoríos
The Basque señoríos were medieval hereditary land titles over an area called señorío , recognized by a king to former basque chieftains in relation to the concept of manorialism in exchange for sworn allegiance. The Basque term is jaurerria , means "lord's country" and usually relates to the...
met under the Oak of Gernika to swear they would respect the ancient laws of Biscay.
Of all historical Juntas Generales, this is perhaps the most widely known and important one as it was in Gernika the Spanish monarchs
Spanish monarchy
The Monarchy of Spain, constitutionally referred to as The Crown and commonly referred to as the Spanish monarchy or Hispanic Monarchy, is a constitutional institution and an historic office of Spain...
were required to swear to uphold the Basque freedoms since the incorporation of Biscay and Gipuzkoa into the Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
from 1200 onwards.
The modern era
The modern Juntas Generales of Biscay were re-instated in 1979 and form a unicameral assemblyUnicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
. Its 51 (90 in 1979 only) members, the batzarkideak (in Basque) or apoderados (in Spanish), are elected by the people of Biscay every four years alongside the municipal elections
Local election
Local elections vary widely across jurisdictions. In electoral systems that roughly follow the Westminster model, a terminology has evolved with roles such as Mayor or Warden to describe the executive of a city, town or region, although the actual means of elections vary...
.
Their duties are to:
- form the Provincial Government of Biscay (the Diputación Foral de Vizcaya (Spanish)/Bizkaiko Foru Aldundia (Basque)
- to elect a president
- to develop the foral lawsFueroFuero , Furs , Foro and Foru is a Spanish legal term and concept.The word comes from Latin forum, an open space used as market, tribunal and meeting place...
of Biscay - to administer the province's budget
The party political composition since 1979 has been as follows:
| 1979 | 1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1995 | 1999 | 2003 | 2007 | |
| EAJ-PNV Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |
40 | 26 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 22 | 23 |
| PSOE Spanish Socialist Workers' Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in... |
14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 14 |
| EE Euskadiko Ezkerra Euskadiko Ezkerra or EE was a Basque socialist political organisation. It was founded as a coalition of Euskal Iraultzarako Alderdia and other Basque Marxist forces in 1977 to present lists for the Spanish general elections in the constituencies of Vizcaya,... 1 |
4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||||
| PP People's Party (Spain) The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship... /AP Popular Alliance (Spain) The People's Alliance was a electoral coalition, and later a political party, founded in 1976 by Manuel Fraga along with six other former Francoist ministers.- History :... |
-- | 4 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| EA Eusko Alkartasuna Eusko Alkartasuna is a Basque nationalist political party operating in Spain and France. The Basque language name means Basque Solidarity and abbreviated as EA. The party describes itself as a Basque nationalist, democratic, popular, progressive and non-denominational party... |
7 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | ||
| EB Ezker Batua - Berdeak Ezker Batua – Berdeak is a left wing environmentalist political party in Spain. It is the representative of the United Left in the Basque Autonomous Community. It was founded in 1986 as the Basque branch of United Left... /IU United Left (Spain) The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain... /PCE/EPK Communist Party of Euskadi Communist Party of Euskadi , is the federation of the Communist Party of Spain in Basque Country and Navarre.... |
3 | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Izquierda Abertzale (HB Batasuna Batasuna was a Basque nationalist political party based mainly in Spain, where it was outlawed in 2003, after a court ruling declared proven that the party was financing ETA with public money. Batasuna is included in the "European Union list of terrorist persons and organizations" as a component... /EH Batasuna Batasuna was a Basque nationalist political party based mainly in Spain, where it was outlawed in 2003, after a court ruling declared proven that the party was financing ETA with public money. Batasuna is included in the "European Union list of terrorist persons and organizations" as a component... /ANV Eusko Abertzale Ekintza Basque Nationalist Action is a Basque nationalist party based in Spain. Founded in 1930, it was the first Basque nationalist political party to exist running on a socialist program. On 16 September 2008, the party was outlawed by the Spanish Supreme Court based on ties with ETA... ) |
19 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 9 | -- | 1 |
| Aralar Aralar Party Aralar is a Basque socialist and separatist political party in Spain. The party is led by Patxi Zabaleta. It is opposed to the violent struggle of ETA.... |
1 | |||||||
| UCD/CDS | 10 | -- | 1 | |||||
| EHE | 2 | -- | ||||||
| Total | 90 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 |
1Since the 1995 elections the EE has been part of the PSE (PSOE).
The lehendakari
Lehendakari
The President of the Basque Government , usually known in English as the Basque regional president, is the head of government of Basque Country. The president leads the executive branch of the regional government....
of the Juntas Generales of Biscay has hailed from the Basque Nationalist Party
Basque Nationalist Party
The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country...
(PNV) since 1987:
| Legislature | Lehendakaria | Party |
|---|---|---|
| I. (1979–1983) | ? | |
| II. (1983–1987) | ? | |
| III. (1987–1991) | Antxon Aurre Elorrieta | EAJ-PNV Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |
| IV. (1991–1995) | Antxon Aurre Elorrieta | EAJ-PNV Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |
| V. (1995–1999) | Aitor Esteban Bravo | EAJ-PNV Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |
| VI. (1999–2003) | Aitor Esteban Bravo | EAJ-PNV Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |
| VII. (2003–2007) | Ana Madariaga Ugarte | EAJ-PNV Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |
| VIII. (2007–2011) | Ana Madariaga Ugarte | EAJ-PNV Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |