The harmony between Catalan and Basque parties does not only apply to ERC and EH Bildu. Carles Puigdemont and Andoni Ortuzar, leaders of Junts and PNV, met this Friday in Waterloo (Belgium) to try to strengthen “relations” between the two and exchange points of view on possible negotiations for an investiture. Representatives from both parties emphasized their role as key to any majority, but stressed that negotiations had “not yet begun.”
“In the last elections, the votes of the seven deputies of the Junts and the five deputies of the PNV were decisive for the formation of the government in Spain,” they emphasized in the notes distributed by the parties. For this reason, the two leaders “shared the positions and expectations with which both formations face this relevant process.”
The meeting in Waterloo, which was unknown until disclosed by the participants, also comes just three days before the meeting of Aitor Esteban, leader of the Basque Nationalists in Congress, with the deputy general secretary of the Popular Party, Cuca Gamarra, which is complete Round of contacts with the groups to try to collect votes for the inauguration of Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
This Friday’s meeting lasted two and a half hours and, as Junts pointed out, is the first official meeting between Ortúzar and Puigdemont. The same meeting, which took place in the building where Puigdemont works, was also attended by PNV organizing director Joseba Aurrekoetxea and Junts secretary general Jordi Turull.
The Jeltzales’ visit to Waterloo is part of the center-right nationalist and sovereigntist bloc’s attempt to claim the key to Sánchez’s inauguration in their fight to oust ERC and EH Bildu. Relations between Puigdemont’s party and Ortuzar’s party had been very cold in recent years due to the conflict between them after the 1-0 win. However, contacts have emerged in recent weeks and the PNV claimed it was in a position to enter into dialogue with Puigdemont.
