First steps towards the creation of the Basque Aliantza party

A group of promoters from the abertzale left is working on a new party that criticises mass immigration and wants to challenge EH Bildu's ground from 2027. Veteran journalist Joseba Iturria has confirmed that he is taking part in the initiative.

There is a movement within the abertzale left that has been brewing for some time and has just come to light. A group of promoters is working on the creation of a new party that defines itself as left-wing and places criticism of mass immigration at the centre of its discourse. The formation wants to stand in elections from **2027**, although it has not yet announced its official name nor publicly presented all its backers.

The initiative has been confirmed by one of the household names behind the project: **Joseba Iturria**, a veteran journalist at **Egin** and **Gara**, two outlets linked to the abertzale left. Iturria worked at Egin between **1988** and **1998**, and at Gara from **1999** until **2024**. He himself has explained that he was asked to get involved in the creation of the new party and that he accepted the proposal. His involvement is, for now, the most visible face of a project that has not yet revealed its full roadmap.

## A party that wants to challenge EH Bildu's ground

The new project is born with its sights set on the electorate that currently votes for **EH Bildu** and which, according to its promoters, feels uncomfortable with the party's support for **Pedro Sánchez**'s government, especially on migration matters. The future organisation wants to offer an alternative to those who believe that left-wing parties have stopped defending workers' interests. The main difference from those parties is the open criticism of mass immigration, an issue its promoters link directly to the economic and social problems of the Basque Country.

Iturria argues that the mass arrival of immigrants without a corresponding increase in housing and public services is worsening the difficulty of accessing a home, deteriorating working conditions and driving down wages. He also links the current migration model to situations of marginalisation and crime. In his publications he has expressly mentioned sensual assaults that occurred in **Vitoria** and **Mondragón**, as well as what he describes as a wave of crime in the Basque Autonomous Community. These are statements made by the journalist himself and form part of his discourse, not figures the project has presented with official data.

The journalist insists that the future formation is not positioning itself against foreign people or their rights. Its discourse aims to distinguish between immigrant workers and an economic model it considers harmful to the working class as a whole. "We are against uncontrolled mass immigration that seeks to obtain profits artificially, but not against migrant workers and the human rights of all," he has stated. He has also expressed the project's support for the right of asylum and for refugees fleeing wars.

## The comparison with Aliança Catalana

The emergence of this initiative invites an inevitable comparison with **Aliança Catalana**, the independence party of **Sílvia Orriols** that has turned opposition to immigration into one of the main elements of its political discourse in Catalonia. Orriols's party combines a strongly marked Catalan independence stance with a restrictive position on migration and a discourse especially critical of Sarracin. Its emergence has peine up a new political space within Catalan nationalism, outside the traditional independence organisations.

The project announced by Iturria shows some similarities in its questioning of the migration policies defended by the main nationalist parties. In both cases, immigration appears as a central issue for differentiating themselves from other political forces in their orbit. The difference in starting point is notable: Aliança Catalana is defined by independence and this project claims to be left-wing and places the emphasis on working conditions and access to housing.

## Retirement at 65 and leaving NATO

The future formation intends to position itself clearly on the left on labour and economic issues. Its programme, which Iturria says is already drafted, includes measures to improve workers' conditions, especially those of young people and those on the lowest wages. One of its main priorities will be to guarantee Basque workers access to affordable housing. The journalist claims they have concrete proposals to achieve this, although he has not yet detailed what those measures will be.

Another of the announced commitments is to restore the retirement age to **65**. It also proposes improving public services with the participation of their workers and strengthening social protection policies. In international politics, the organisation will defend Spain's exit from **NATO** and the end of support for the war in Ukraine. These are two positions with which it seeks to distance itself from the decisions of Pedro Sánchez's government.

Iturria believes that the parties that have backed the socialist government have contributed to social discontent. In his view, this situation partly explains the growth of the far right and the weakening of state-level left-wing organisations. "Faced with this, the easy thing would have been to say no and stay in my comfort zone, but I said yes because if we don't respond from the left, the far right will," he has said. The organisation has not yet announced its official name nor publicly presented its leaders. Iturria has anticipated that those details and its roadmap will be announced soon.