Overview

• Goia announced he will leave the mayoralty after presiding over the city debate-plenary on October 16 and confirmed he will not run in 2027.
• The Basque Nationalist Party has opened a succession process, with culture councillor Jon Insausti widely reported as the leading candidate, though the party’s executive bodies will make the final decision.
• He cited personal and family reasons alongside a self-imposed limit on tenure, saying he does not want to be an “eternal mayor.”
• Goia highlighted the purchase of the Loiola barracks for about 1,700 protected homes and progress on the Topo/metro link and Atotxa station as signature achievements.
• The transition reshapes local politics as polls show EH Bildu gaining ground, with housing affordability, tourism pressures and public safety remaining key tests for his successor.