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Otegi Accuses PNV of Weaponizing Ertzaintza Debate, Presses Overhaul of Basque Policing Model

His remarks shift attention to policing models during a week of denounced threats against the Basque security chief.

Overview

  • In a Nov. 6 Radio Euskadi interview, EH Bildu leader Arnaldo Otegi said he does not hate the Ertzaintza and framed the dispute as a policy debate rather than a clash with officers.
  • He advocated a decentralized, community‑based model for policing, citing Nordic and British approaches as references.
  • According to ABC, Otegi accused the PNV of instrumentalizing criticism of the police to blunt EH Bildu’s electoral momentum.
  • La Razón highlighted threatening graffiti against Security Minister Bingen Zupiria in late October that drew cross‑party condemnation.
  • The Basque Government’s Security Forum launched in June runs through 2026, as officials recalibrate Ertzaintza communications following the Oct. 12 clashes in Vitoria.