PNV's Esteban declares Spanish legislature 'finished,' demands early elections but rules out no-confidence motion

The call for early elections

Aitor Esteban, president of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), stated on Thursday that the current Spanish legislature "has reached its end" and that the "general interest demands elections this year." Speaking to media in Bilbao before a seminar on European industrial competitiveness, Esteban placed the responsibility squarely on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, arguing that the focus should be on the president's duty to ensure proper governability rather than on the parties that supported his investiture.

The general interest demands the calling of elections this year, because he should ask himself if by refusing this he is not acting out of partisan and particular interest.

Esteban's remarks directly countered Sánchez's statements from Rome the previous day, where the prime minister said he could not dissolve the chambers and call elections for partisan reasons and must act in the name of the general interest.

A blocked legislature

Esteban described a political landscape marked by paralysis. He noted that there are no state budgets, no prospects of passing them, and no effective legislative activity due to the lack of a stable majority. He pointed to an increasingly tense political atmosphere dominated by a growing number of judicial cases, including the entry of Spain's Central Operative Unit (UCO) into the PSOE headquarters in Madrid on Wednesday.

It is not responsible to act like an ostrich.

The PNV leader warned that the judicial cases will continue to unfold over time, suggesting that the political environment will only deteriorate further. He hinted that day-by-day developments could shift political language and positions among parties.

No-confidence motion ruled out

Despite mounting pressure from opposition parties, Esteban was unequivocal in rejecting a no-confidence motion against Sánchez. "We do not contemplate it," he said, adding that such a move is not on the PNV's table. This position comes as the conservative Popular Party (PP) has been urging the PNV to break with the government and facilitate a censure motion, similar to the one that ousted Mariano Rajoy in 2018 following the Gürtel corruption scandal.

Javier de Andrés, leader of the Basque PP, accused the PNV of being "sold" to Sánchez and claimed the nationalists "tolerate with naturalness" the personal enrichment of public officials and the corruption of judges and prosecutors. De Andrés suggested the PNV may apply the same doctrine to itself in regions where it governs.

Ongoing negotiations and electoral horizon

While demanding early elections, the PNV continues to negotiate with the central government on the significant transfer of Social Security competencies, with a deadline reportedly set around July. Esteban dismissed the idea that the summer, the upcoming World Cup, or other events might change circumstances, insisting that "this leads nowhere." He formally opened what is expected to be a long and competitive pre-electoral campaign in the Basque Country, with EH Bildu as a key rival.

Lehendakari Imanol Pradales declined to comment on the political and judicial situation upon entering the Basque Parliament, while former Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu has also expressed support for early general elections before the end of 2026.