In recent weeks, the government of Imanol Pradales has acquired four high-end Lexus sedans through the “rental” formula, as confirmed by this newspaper and official sources. These are both new official cars and expanded portfolios within the Basque Executive. Pradales heads a coalition cabinet of the PNV and the PSE-EE of 16 members, the largest in the history of Euskadi, compared to 12 in the last team of Iñigo Urkullu. The vehicles, registered on July 19, are already in service and are silver gray or black.
Lexus, the luxury branch of Toyota, is the car manufacturer that former president Iñigo Urkullu chose when renewing his official cars four years ago. Now, yes, a lower model in the catalog has been chosen. These are ES type vehicles – with the Eco label – as opposed to the LS that Urkullu used and that Pradales has now inherited. In terms of purchase, this model can be purchased in its most basic category from around 55,000 euros, while the largest costs double the entry price.
With the new acquisitions, the government’s fleet of official cars increases from 15 units – for security reasons, the Lehendakaris have several on the road – to 19. In addition to the Lexus Pradales and the new acquisitions, there are also BMW and Audi sedans. The previous batch was acquired in 2020, at the beginning of Urkullu’s third term. At that time, a lease contract of 1.7 million euros for the 15 cars and for four years was announced, or more than 100,000 euros on average. However, the sources consulted did not provide information on the cost of the lease. This fleet of vehicles is managed by the Ertzaintza and the drivers are escorts from Berrozi’s elite unit.
The expansion of government portfolios has also generated other tangible economic consequences. The Basque Parliament is currently completing the most important work in its history in the chamber for the first plenary sessions of the legislature – scheduled for next week – since the new team does not fit into the government bench, with fourteen seats. Two seats had to be installed in a stair area on both sides. One of these new positions is precisely that of Pradales, who will not sit in the historic seat of the PNV lehendakaris, to the right of the Table. The other person affected is the socialist María Jesús San José. These works, which also involved changing the carpet and other renovations, were estimated this summer at around 47,500 euros. No information has been given on the cost of the works at the administrative headquarters in Lakua, where offices also had to be installed for the new councilors. The opposition tried to question the competent councillor, María Ubarretxena, this week in the Basque Parliament, but she has not yet finished providing concrete data.
