Carlos Garaikoetxea

Who is Carlos Garaikoetxea?

Carlos Garaikoetxea Urriza is a former Basque politician. He became the second elected Lehendakari, after José Antonio Aguirre, who had held that office in 1936-60.

He was a leading figure in the Basque Nationalist Party of Navarre in the period 1975-80. In 1979, he has elected president of the Basque General Council, the preautonomic body preparing the devolution of powers to the Basque Country prior to the approval of the Statute of Autonomy. Once approved, Garaikoetxea was elected Lehendakari in 1980 and reelected in 1984.

During his presidency the Basque statute of autonomy was developed. As Lehendakari inaugurated the emission of Basque Television on 31 December 1982. In his term, important self-government institutions were created: the Basque Health Public System and Ertzaintza, the Basque police service, which was directed by his close collaborator Juan Porres Azkona since 1982 until 1986. During the floods of August 1983, he managed both Basque and Spanish emergency services in order to solve the resulting problems. The economy recovered through the revision of the Basque "Concierto Económico" and the Basque language was established throughout the Basque education system.