The Romans gave the name Vasconia to the territories of Navarre, La Rioja and northwest Aragón, and referred to their inhabitants as Vascones (the current word 'Basque' derives from this term). Vasconia was the name used in the past to denominate the Basque Country. When the Duchy of Vasconia came under the Frankish control of the Carolingians, the Vascones of Pamplona were able to become independent thanks to the help of the Basque-Muslims of the Ebro Riverbank. This alliance gave rise to the Kingdom of Pamplona, which would be later known as Kingdom of Pamplona-Najera. The realm evolved over time and ended up covering all the territories that were inhabited by Vascon people. Finally, the realm would become the Kingdom of Navarre. The toponym 'Navarra', which comes from the medieval Basque term 'Nabarra', means 'the great plain near the mountains'. In the course of time, the place-name 'Nabarra' evolved to the word 'Nafarroa', which is the Basque term that denominates the territory of Navarre at the present time.

The flag of NavarreThe initial language of the Navarreses therefore was the Basque language. This is why the Navarrese king Sancho VI, called 'The Wise', referred to the Basque language as 'Lingua Navarrorum' (the language of the Navarreses) in one of his manuscripts of 1167. However, the Navarrese reconquest of the former Vascon territories of southern Navarre, which firstly belonged to the Andalusi Upper Marc ruled from Zaragoza and then by the Hajibate of Zaragoza, provided the Navarrese kingdom with another culture: the Aragonese culture

In the 13rd century, the Aragonese language was gradually absorbed by Castilian, due to the economical and political potential of Castile as well as its culture. Therefore, Castilian with Aragonese accent started to be spoken in the extreme south of Navarre in the 14th century, where coexisted with the Basque language that had continuously been spoken in the territory since the pre-Roman ages. After the conquest of Navarre in 1512, Castilian began an expansion process towards the half and north of Navarre, what made the Lingua Navarrorum disappear slowly. Today, Euskara is spoken by 9.6 % of the Navarrese population, the 9.8 % understands it, but cannot speak it while the 80.6 % of the whole population only speaks Castilian (statistical information of 1996).

In the contemporary age, after Franco's death in 1975, Spain began a transition process towards democracy. Some of the existing political parties (PNV, PSE-PSOE, ESEI, ANV, EPK-PCE and the Basque Christian Democrat party) agreed that the members of parliament and senators who were elected in the national parliamentary elections of 15th June, 1977 in Álava, Guipúzcoa, Navarre and Biscay were able to draft a joint statute of autonomy for the four territories.

The fact that the Basque Country's nationalist left parties did not stand for the first national elections in Spain after forty eight years as a whole, caused that the socialist party PSE-PSOE, which was in force of a joint statute for the above-mentioned provinces, remained in the minority in Navarre with regard to the Spanish centre-right party UCD, that was against it and that advocated for a single-province statute of autonomy in Navarre. After the national parliamentary elections, the results in Navarre were as follows: UCD: three Members (75.036 votes-29.03 %) The Monument to the Fueros of Pamplona was erected by the Navarrese carlists in 1903while PSE-PSOE obtained two Members (54.720 votes-21.17 %).

The Spanish UCD considered the political reunification of the Basque Country in one single autonomy as a political structure more suited to the Basque nationalist ideology, despite it was also supported by non-nationalist left forces of Navarre. The UCD's political view, which did not exist in the rest of the majority ideologies of the territory, gave rise to a political stream called 'Navarrismo' (28)

(28) The political postulate that defines the Navarrese condition as historically different from the Basque condition is recent. It arose during the transition to democracy and intended to give an own identity to Navarre (Foral Community of Navarre) separately from the rest of the peninsular Basque territories and this way, to strength this new condition. Remember that the Navarreses were historically considered Basques and even Navarre was defined as the cradle of the Basque Country. Furthermore, the term 'Basque' came from the name of the tribe that inhabited Navarre, La Rioja and northwest Aragón since the pre-Roman ages: the Vascones.

The territories under Vascon jurisdiction during the Roman empire period  (1st century AD). Click on the image to enlarge

The novelty of this political postulate is even shown in front of the Palace of Navarre in Pamplona, seat of the Foral Government of Navarre, where stands the Monument to the Fueros that was built in 1903 by the artist Manuel Martínez de Ubago y Lizarraga and whose costs were covered by popular subscriptions in defence of the Navarrese foral system. The monument was also intended to be a protest after the attempt to abolish the fueros of Navarre that the minister of finance, Germán Gamazo, made in 1893 with the aim of equating the Navarrese fiscal contribution to the rest of the Spanish provinces and ignoring the local features. This historic event against the fueros is known as 'La Gamazada'.

As we can see in the picture above, the bronze monument represents a maid that symbolises Navarre. She holds in her right hand the chains of the coat of arms and in the left hand, the Foral Law.

At the bottom of the statue there are five bronze plaques that show texts in both Spanish and Euskara which refer to the Navarrese rights, freedoms and history in an allegorical way. We can read the following Basque text in one of the plaques that was written in Latin characters:

One of the plaques that were placed below the Monument to the Fueros  of Pamplona, that was erected by the Navarrese carlists in 1903“Gu gaurko euskaldunok, gure aitasoen illezkorren oroipenean, bildu gera emen gure legea gorde nai degula erakusteko”

['We Basques of today, out of respect for the memory of our ancestors, have gathered here to show that we want to live according to our own law']

Another plaque shows the following text below. This time, it was written in Iberian characters to symbolise the pride of the Basques of being a pre-Roman people that were never subjected.

“guk, euskaldunok, ez dugunok beste jaunarik Jainkoa besterik, atzerritarrari ostatu gozoa eman ohi diogu, baina ez dugu bere uztarria jasan nahi. Entzun ezazue ongi, gure seme-alabok”

['We Basques, that do not have other lords but God, usually shelter the foreigners although we do not want to bear their yoke. You, our sons, hear it']

Due to the political path that the Spanish right party of Navarre charted so that the Basque Country remained divided into two autonomous communities, the Socialist Party of Euskadi split as well in October of 1978. This caused the emergence of the Socialist Party of Navarre (PSN-PSOE), and the Solicialist Party of Euskadi (PSE-PSOE) had to adjust to the geographical scope of the three western Basque territories. After those events, there would start a long process of divisions at all levels, like the one that suffered the trade union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), that achieved a Navarrese confederation separately from the rest of the Basque Country in 2004.

After many negotiations, the results for the parliament of Navarre were expected in order to know whether Navarre would be included in the joint statute of autonomy. During the drafting of the Spanish constitution, the fourth transitory provision was added by which the Navarreses could run a referendum about being included in the joint statute if the Navarrese parliament considered it appropriate. Under those circumstances, a number of the Navarrese UCD members objected to the fourth transitory provision since they considered it a cession to the Basque nationalists. In this way, they set up a new party called Unión del Pueblo Navarro (UPN), that gave rise to the local ideology or 'Navarrismo' characterized by its opposition to any reunification with the Basque Country (they considered this a Basque nationalist policy objective) and the defence of the Navarrese foral status as well as its deep feeling of Spanishness.

The change of course of the recent Socialist Party of Navarre, already prone to Navarre as a separated territory from the rest of the Basque areas, caused that most of the Navarrese Members decided finally not to be included in the Basque pre-autonomous body (Basque General Council) and the future Basque autonomy statute after the Navarrese Parliament Elections of 3rd April, 1979. The fact that the nationalist left Herri Batasuna (HB) stood for election and obtained nine Members was not enough to change the final decision.

Thus, the aim of establishing the Basque Autonomous Community with the city of Pamplona as its capital was absolutely impossible. Therefore, two statutes of autonomy were created: the Gernika Statute, which includes the western Basque territories and that gave rise to the Basque Autonomous Community or Euskadi and the Law of Improvement of the Navarrese Foral Status (Ley del Amejoramiento Foral Navarro), which only includes Navarre. Since that moment, there is a historic paradox: Navarre, that was the founder of Vasconia during the Frankish-Visigothic age (old toponym of the Basque Jaime Ignacio del Burgo Tajadura, president of the Provincial  Council of NavarreCountry) and that extended to both sides of the Pyrenees due to the Navarrese leadership on all the Basque tribes, is now legally out of the Basque Country. In order to understand this situation, this would be something similar as if the territory of Burgos, the cradle of Castile, would remain out of the current Autonomous Community of Castile and León.

One of the consequences of the Basque Country's political division into two autonomous communities was that the city of Vitoria, which is the capital of the western Basques today, is not considered by the Gernika Statute as the official capital of the Basque Autonomous Community, but as an administrative capital in which institutions that are common to Alaveses, Guipuzcoanos and Biscayans reside. The official status of the Basque Country's capital, according to the Basque popular feeling, is only recognized if it refers to Pamplona, the historic capital of the Vascones (the name of the former Basques) and later, the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre.

Meanwhile, a referendum was held in Euskadi in which the Gernika Statute (a statute that leaves the door open to the incorporation of Navarre) was approved by a large majority of the western Basque citizenship on 25th October, 1979. On the contrary, Navarre did not hold any referendum to approve its sefl-government just to avoid the wide-ranging debate on the integration of Navarre in the Basque Country that started in the Navarrese society. The self-government of Navarre therefore arose by means of an increase in the jurisdictional limits of the Provincial Council of Navarre (a institution that already existed under the Francoist regime), allowed by the application of the Law of Improvement of the Navarrese Foral Status.

During the successive Basque nationalist governments that ruled Euskadi for 30 years since the transition to democracy, the cases of corruption have been rare and have not impacted their development. On the contrary, the Navarrese constitutionalist governments have been immersed in several instances of corruption that led to the deposition or resignation of the president on duty. One of the ex-presidents of Navarre was even sent to prison for those activities.

The first elections to the foral parliament of Navarre were held on 3rd April, 1979. The result was as follows:

Juan Manuel Artza Muñazuri, president of the Provincial Council of NavarreUCD: 20 seats (68,040 votes); PSN-PSOE: 15 seats (48,289 votes); UPN: 13 seats (40,764 votes); HB: nine seats (28,244); Agrupaciones Electorales de Merindades: seven seats (17,282 votes); Basque Nationalists: three seats (12,845 votes); Carlist Party: one seat (12,165 votes); Unión Navarra de Izquierdas: one seat (7,419 votes) and Agrupación Electoral Independientes Forales Navarros: one seat (3,729 votes).

The politician Jaime Ignacio del Burgo Tajadura was elected president of the Provincial Council of Navarre on 19th April, 1979 by UCD (Unión de Centro Democrático), that was the most voted party. A year after, he was removed as president on 28th April, 1980 due to allegations of mismanagement of the foral administration fund that made his own corporation colleagues. At present, del Burgo is a member of the Popular Party of Navarre.

The foral parliament agreed on demand the president resignation on 14th April, 1980, but del Burgo did not accept it and therefore, the Council ordered his dismissal on 28th April. The ousted president appealed to the Territorial Court of Pamplona that ruled in favour of the Council of Navarre on 26th June, 1981. In this situation, del Burgo appealed to the Supreme Court which revoked the decision of the Territorial Court and justified the del Burgo's arguments in November of 1983. After the invalidation of his dismissal by the Courts, Jaime Ignacio del Burgo returned to hold the presidency since 14th Jaunary to 4th May, 1984.

In 1980, once the Council ordered the dismissal of Jaime Ignacio del Burgo as president, Juan Manuel Artza Muñazuri became its interim president. On 29th September, he was elected president as candidate nominated by UCD. During his term of office, Juan Manuel Artza chaired the Commission of Navarre which negotiated with the Spanish State the agreements for the Improvement of the Navarrese Foral Status between 1980 and 1982 that was approved by means of the Organic Law of 16th August, 1982. In that way, Navarre would not endorse its self-government, in contrast to Euskadi. Once Jaime del Burgo returned to the Council as president, Artza left the chair and resumed the Vice-Presidency where he remained until 1984.

In the elections to the Navarrese parliament on 8th May, 1983, Gabriel Urralburu Tainta headed the candidate list of PSN (Socialist Party of Navarre) and was its candidate for president of the Navarrese Government. He held this position since his party was the most voted: PSN-PSOE: 20 seats (94,737 votes); UPN: 13 seats (62,072); the Gabriel Urralburu Tainta, president of the foral government of Navarreelectoral coalition AP-PDP-UL: eight seats (3,.554 votes); HB: six seats (28,055 votes) and finally PNV: three seats (18,161 votes).

On 10th June, 1987, Navarre hold foral elections with the following results: PSN-PSOE: 15 seats (48,338 votes); UPN: 14 seats (69,311 votes); HB: seven seats (38,111 votes); CDS: four seats (20,978): Eusko Alkartasuna: four seats (19,821); Unión Demócrata Foral: three seats (17,648 votes); AP: two seats (11,903 votes) and Euskadiko Ezkerra: one seat (9,614 votes). Thus, Gabriel Urralburu was reelected as Navarrese foral president.

In the next elections to the parliament of Navarre on 26th May, 1991, Juan Cruz Alli headed this time the candidate list of UPN, which obtained the highest number of votes since the constitutionalist centre-right voters focused this party. UPN: 20 seats (96,005 votes); PSN-PSOE: 19 seats (91,645 votes); HB: six seats (30,762 votes); Eusko Alkartasuna: three seats (15,170 votes) and IUN-NEB: two seats (11,167 votes). Thus, Juan Cruz Alli Aranguren became the next president of Navarre.

In 1994, the Spanish newspaper Diario 16 published an article in which it made public the illicit enrichment of the ex-President Gabriel Urralburu. Of course, he denied those allegations of corruption although they made him refuse to run to reelection as general secretary of PSN-PSOE. For this reason, he was substituted by Javier Otano Cid, who was the president of the foral parliament of Juan Cruz Alli Aranguren, president of the foral government of NavarreNavarre and general vice-secretary of PSN-PSOE at that time. Later in 1998, Urralburu was sentenced to 11 years in prison and a fine of 780 million pesetas (600 for bribery and 180 for fraud).

Around March 1995, President Alli left UPN due to disagreements and decided to head the electoral list of the party Convergencia de Demócratas Navarros (CDN). Therefore, he resigned and continued as president-in-office until the inauguration of the new president.

The next parliamentary elections in Navarre were run on 28th May, 1995 and Javier Otano headed the list of PSN. The results were as follows: UPN: 17 seats (91,163 votes); PSN-PSOE: 11 seats (62,021 votes); CDN: 10 seats (55,153 votes); IUN-NEB: five seats (27,773 votes); HB: five seats (27,404 votes) and Eusko Alkartasuna (EA): two seats (13,568 votes).

Otano, who was nominated candidate for the presidency of the Government of Navarre, was elected president with the votes of PSN, CDN and EA. His inauguration as president of Navarre took place in July 1995 and remain in office until June 1996 when he resigned due to the polemics on PSN corruption scandals and the days of President Urralburu. Otano was tried for the Urralburu process, where he was acquitted due to the prescription of the offence. During the trial, the Navarrese ex-president suggested that the money was in a Swiss account that was opened in his name because Urralburu gave him the assurance that the money was reserved for the future needs of the party.

During Otano's mandate, the Euskadi-Navarre organ of collaboration was established, which covered different issues of mutual interest. It was approved by a large majority of both parliaments (Vitoria and Pamplona). The only political party that opposed to this agreement was UPN, as they considered it the beginning of a possible unification of Euskadi and Navarre and this would mean the disappearance of Navarre as a differentiated community in the long run.

After the dissolution of the former government on 18th September, 1996, Miguel Sanz Sesma, from UPN (the force that achieved the highest number of Members) became president of the Government of Navarre. Javier Otano Cid, president of the foral government of NavarreHis first action in office was to annul the above-mentioned organ of collaboration between Euskadi and Navarre.

The foral parliamentary elections of 13rd June, 1999, showed the following results: UPN: 22 seats (125,497 votes); PSN-PSOE: 11 seats (61,531 votes): EH: eight seats (47,271 votes); IUN-NEB: three seats (20,879 votes); CDN: three seats (20,821 votes) and finally, Eusko Alkartasuna-PNV: three seats (16,512 votes). Therefore, Miguel Sanz returned to the Navarrese presidency.

On 28th May, 2003 new elections to the parliament were held in which UPN obtained 23 seats (126,725 votes); PSN-PSOE: 11 seats (64,663 votes); IUN-NEB: four seats (26.834 votes); Aralar (the split of the separatist left that opposed to ETA's armed struggle): four seats (23,697 votes); CDN: four seats (23,437 votes) and Eusko Alkartasuna-PNV: four seats (22,727 votes). The separatist left did not stand for the elections since the party was outlawed and called its electorate for a spoilt vote. Thus, the spoilt votes increased to 21,296 in Navarre, which would have meant three Members in the parliament (note that this figure refers to the intended spoilt ballots once they were deducted from the ordinary percentage of invalid votes during the count). After the electoral process, the parties UPN and CDN established a coalition government that was chaired by Miguel Sanz.

During the elections of 27th May, 2007 the basque nationalism that questioned the existence of ETA entered into coalition and gave rise to a single political party called Nafarroa Bai ('Yes to Navarre'), which was the second most voted party in this electoral process. The results were as follows: UPN-PP: 22 seats (138,031 votes); Nafarroa Bai: 12 seats (77,625 votes); PSN-PSOE: 12 seats (73,135 votes); CDN: two seats (14,259 votes) and IUN-NEB: two seats (14,244 votes). The separatist left asked its electorate to vote the list of ANV, considered a coMiguel Sanz Sesma, president of the foral government of Navarrentinuation of the outlawed Batasuna, so that the votes for this list were considered nulls. Again, the number of intended spoilt votes increased to 18,096 what would have meant two seats.

After the elections, the coalition UPN-PP and CDN did not achieve an absolute parliamentary majority and therefore, a coalition government among Nafarroa Bai, PSN-PSOE and IUN-NEB was agreed in order to hold the absolute majority. For this reason, Fernando Puras, a PSN-PSOE member, would be the new Navarrese president. However, the PSOE leadership opposed to this left alliance and forced PSN to abstain from voting in the foral parliament with the aim of that UPN and CDN could rule Navarre without an overall majority. By means of this strategy, Miguel Sanz became president again.

The fact that the leadership of PSOE, a social-democratic party, avoided a left-wing government in Navarre and supported a centre-right government thanks to its abstention, was due to the perception that the Spanish public opinion could have if the Socialist Party ruled Navarre together with a Basque nationalist party like Nafarroa Bai. This would be interpreted as a cession to the nationalists in favour of the political reunification of the Basque Country, what would lead PSOE to lose votes at state level. On the other hand, the Popular Party (PP) has always spread among the Spanish public the concept of that any policy about joining Euskadi and Navarre in a single autonomous community would mean a cession to the Basque nationalists, who want to 'break' the Spanish State. Thus, the defence of dividing the Basque Country into two autonomous communities (Euskadi and Navarre) has become an affair of state.

In 2011, the parties UPN and PP stood separately for the parliamentary elections of 22th May. Eusko Alkartasuna left as well the coalition Nafarroa Bai and therefore, it changed its name to 'Nafarroa Bai 2011' (a coalition formed by independents, Aralar and PNV). EA stood for election in coalition with 'Alternatiba' and independents from the separatist Yolanda Barcina Angulo, president of the foral government of Navarreleft by means of 'Bildu'. The Aralar's doubts on the long-term path that the separatist left was drafting towards political and democratical options exclusively, caused that a coalition among the different parties (the separatist left, Aralar, Eusko Alkartasuna and Alternatiba) was not a feasible option on the way to elections. Furthermore, it must be added the pressure exerted by PNV, which did not want to stand for the elections in Navarre in coalition with the separatist left, their main political rival. Soon after, 'Batzarre' left as well Nafarroa Bai due to diverging streams since they pointed out that the Basque nationalism was more important in that coalition than the leftist ideology. In this way, Batzarre joined together with IUN-NEB to create the new coalition 'Izquierda-Ezkerra'. The results of the elections to the Navarrese parliament were the following ones: UPN: 19 seats (111,474 votes); PSN-PSOE: nine seats (51,238 votes); Nafarroa Bai 2011: eight seats (49,827 votes); Bildu: seven seats (42,916 votes); Popular Party: four seats (23,551) and Izquierda-Ezkerra: three seats (18,457 votes).

In the light of the results obtained, the party UPN, which did not achieve the absolute majority even with the Members obtained by the Popular Party, was forced to negotiate with PSN. In this case, the Navarrese socialists did not consider an alternative leftist coalition since they would have to negotiate an agreement with Bildu, whose independent members from the separatist left were still considered bound to ETA by the public opinion. The negotiations between UPN and PSN-PSOE led to a coalition government from which Yolanda Barcia, a member of UPN, became president of Navarre. However, this government had a short existence due to Barcina's loss of confidence in the Navarrese vice-president, Roberto Jiménez, who was in turn the general secretary of PSN-PSOE. President Barcina expelled him from the government and therefore, the coalition was broken up on 14th June, 2012. Since then, UPN governs alone and without a parliamentary majority.

The Foral Community of Navarre or Nafarroako Foru Erkidegoa, as said in Euskara, established a one-region autonomous community and separated from the rest of the peninsular Basque territories during the Spanish transition to democracy, as stated before. This governed sub-entity comprises the population of Upper Navarre and its capital is Pamplona-Iruñea. The president of the Foral Government of Navarre resides in this city, as well as the parliament and all the institutions of the community.Geographical Situation of the Basque Country Information about Euskadi Information about Euskadi Information about Navarre Information about Northern Basque Country Information about Navarre Information about Northern Basque Country

 

* Iruñea: it is the form that is used at present in the valleys of northern Navarre to name Pamplona in Basque and that the Academy of the Basque Language, Euskaltzaindia, chose as its standard term in Euskara.

* Iruña: it is the form that the Pamplona city council took as the official name and that has been commonly used by the majority of the Basque-speaker population for centuries.

* Pamplona: it is the Spanish form .

 

Navarre (eastern Basque Country) has 642,051 inhabitants (2011) and its extension is 10,391 square kilometres.

The territory, as well as Euskadi (western Basque Country), have the highest levels of autonomy in Spain and Europe, although the Navarrese self-government level is lower with regard to Euskadi. Navarre is well developed technological and economically, with a high quality of life.

According to the euro convergence criteria, being 100 the average rate, in the year 2004 the Foral Community of Navarre obtained a rate of 110.02, what means that the European average in economic development was exceeded by 10.02 points, what allowed Navarre to be the third autonomous community in Spain, after the Comunity of Madrid with the capital of Spain (114.85), and Euskadi (112.98).

At that time, Navarre remained 50th from the 251 existing regions in the European Union concerning the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, while the Community of Madrid was 32th and Euskadi, 49th.

 

Historic Territory
Navarre
Year
2001
Employees
242.254
Primary sector
13.146
Industry
92.829
Services
136.279
Employed (%)
100
Primary sector (%)
5,4
Industry (%)
38,3
Services (%)
56,3

 

 

 

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Information about the Northern Basque Country on the following page