The EBB believes that Spain is in a situation of public deficit, economic deficit and political deficit. Spain is in a situation of public instability, economic instability and political instability. Today the Spanish Workers' Socialist Party and Rodríguez Zapatero are entirely isolated in the social, economic and political spheres.

Faced with this situation, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) will act responsibly.

EAJ-PNV believes that a commitment by the Spanish Government to the structural reforms required to guarantee economic recovery is necessary and indispensible.

The Basque Nationalist Party is not in agreement with freezing pensions. We also consider that investments must not be sacrificed, and especially those promised to the Basque Country such as the high speed train (HST) or the Port of Pasaia. We also believe that the Basque Country has the capacity to decide which cost control and economic boosting measures should be applied.

At any event EAJ-PNV will wait to be informed of the contents of the decree with the measures announced by Rodríguez Zapatero before deciding the position to take up in the House of Representatives.

The economic situation of the Basque Country is different from that of Spain. The distribution of the economic fabric in the Basque Country is closer to European parameters than to those of Spain. The starting point before the crisis was very different. The unemployment level in the Basque Country is half of that of Spain. The public debt of Basque institutions is much lower than that of Spanish institutions.

Thus recipes for Spain are not valid for the Basque Country. López must not assume Zapatero´s recipes.

We request López to act in consequence of Basque reality and not of Spanish reality.

He should apply the measures required by the Basque Country, not those required by Spain.

Thus, in every field, specific recipes, adjusted to each situation.

We request that López not read the small print of Zapatero's measures, but that he read the Basque reality and the reality of Basque institutions. He should not copy and follow what Zapatero says but do what the Basque Country and Basque society need. The attitude of EAJ-PNV is going to be to decide from the Basque Country based on the reality of the Basque Country.

Measures to propose to the State:

1.- Urgent meeting of the Economic Agreement Mixed Commission

     Urgent meeting of the parties to the Toledo Agreements

2.- Drastic reduction of governmental structure (Vice-presidencies and Ministries)

3.- Reduction of State structure in the Autonomous Communities
     Structural reduction of the Armed Forces.
 New functions for Mungia, Loiola, Araka, Bardenas and Juan de Garay military bases.

4.- Structural reforms for the support of the productive economy, aids for exportation, the promotion of new business projects and incentives for labour contracts.

5.- Guarantee of maintenance of investment which generates economic activity and employment: HST works, Port of Pasaia

Measures to be proposed in the Basque Country

1.- Urgent meeting of the Inter-institutional Commission against the crisis.
      Meeting of the Basque Financial Council.

2.- Limitation of Governmental debt.

     Guarantee that debt will be focused on investment and not on ordinary operating expenses.

3.- Guarantee of maintenance of public spending focused on the generation of economic activity and employment.

4.- Appearance of López in Parliament to give an account of the situation.

     New request for presentation of his "economic programme"

5.- New measures of support for the productive economy.