Urkullu announces Basque Government might present new budget bill

Basque Country's Premier Iñigo Urkullu announced on Wednesday that the Basque Government will present a new budget bill in view of the likely flexibility on the budget goals from the European Union, which would increase the income and make a new budget easier.

Urkullu announced the government's decision from Brussels, where he is on an official visit meeting high-ranking representatives of European institutions. The official visit reached its end on Wednesday, when Urkullu met President of European Council Herman Van Rompuy.

"It might be better to wait until we have real data from the European Union", Urkullu told a press conference.

The Basque Premier has called an extraordinary cabinet meeting in order to take a final decision on the budget bill, which was scheduled to be put to the vote.

Foreign agenda

Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, the Basque Premier, embarked on his first foreign mission with a work meeting with the President of the European Commission, Durão Barroso.

The meeting marked the start of a series of meetings with high-ranking representatives of European institutions, in order to showcase the Government Programme and the proposals of the Basque Country to address the current European political, social and economic challenges.

The Lehendakari and the President of the Common ended by discussing the new era of openness in the Basque Country as the result of the end to violence announced by ETA in October 2011. The Lehendakari asked about the role played by the European Commission in other similar processes such as Northern Ireland or by the PEACE initiative for the coming years.

Meeting with Cecilia Malmstrom

After the meeting with President Barroso, the Lehendakari met with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom. The Lehendakari explained to the Commissioner the need to build peace and the future of the Basques on sound foundations.

The Lehendakari outlined for the Commissioner the principles behind the Peace and Coexistence Plan envisaged by the Government Programme. He also expressed his interest in the contents of the Victims Community Directive and they likewise disused the European Commission's perspective regarding the aforementioned Plan and the programmes and initiatives covering peace, victims and reintegration of prisoners, along with points of restorative justice.

Urkullu had a working lunch with the Vice-President and European Commissioner for Commissioner for Compeition, Joaquin Almunia, at the .headquarters of the European Commission.

The Lehendakari and the Commissioner discussed the growth policy at a time of austerity included in the government programme, along with the main challenges that Europe must face to recover from the crisis.