Overview

• A tribute on June 16, 2025, honored Carlos Garaikoetxea, who served as the Basque Government’s inaugural lehendakari from 1980 to 1986
• The ceremony was promoted by Basque culture minister Imanol Pradales and drew representatives from the PNV, EH Bildu and other regional bodies
• Three surviving ministers from Garaikoetxea’s original cabinet joined the homage, underscoring his role in creating Osakidetza, the Ertzaintza and EiTB
• Speakers recalled the ‘years of lead’ of ETA violence, the HB incident at the Casa de Juntas in Gernika and subsequent PNV splits
• Organizers framed the homage as a step toward healing divisions within Basque nationalism rooted in its post-dictatorship history