The president of the Popular Union of Navarro, Cristina Ibarrola (Pamplona, 1969), has been at the head of the party for four months, during which his relations with the PSN have not improved, “because PSN doesn’t do anything to improve it either“, since he believes that the socialists are not willing to “knock” on his door because “they have the road map defined with EH Bildu”.
The president of the regionalist party opens the doors of her new office in Príncipe de Viana to analyze, in an interview with EFE, the political news and his first months at the head of the UPNin which “many people have worked and are convinced that the UPN has the best project for Navarre”, so they will try to “overthrow a government that he is not doing things right.”
He criticizes the fact that with the exception of employment data, the rest of the indicators are “bad” and with “a much higher budget” to manage. Meanwhile, he explains that The UPN will continue to defend the Foral regime and what seems coherent, but not “blindfolded”, as “the PSN wishes”.
Question: What were your first decisions during these four months as president?
Answer.- The relevant decision that we had to make at the beginning was how we would go to the European elections, whether we would decide to ask for the vote for the Popular Party or not. And we are working on lines and proposals because we are clear about our priorities, our proposals, the project and we are trying to shape it so that in these next 3 years we can propose initiatives that improve the lives of the Navarrese.
The party’s discourse has not changed much, what do you want to bring to the UPN?
Well, there are things that are the same and others that are not, there are proposals on the table that are different. But well, that will change as we go along. That is to say, there are many aspects in which we will surely have to modify our position or incorporate new lines and actions. We are carrying out a rigorous analysis of the evolution of Navarrese society and the needs of the different population subgroups.
What are these different positions?
I believe that in recent months we have had voting positions in which we have focused a little on different aspects. They have been evident. We are going to be with the parties that see the solutions practically in line with what we think should improve the current situation in Navarre, we are open.
What is your roadmap to govern again?
Develop and strengthen the UPN. The external political context is very variable, it can change, we have seen it on several occasions, but it must prepare us very well and what we must do is not only remain the main party in Navarre, but also gain the trust every day. . more and more citizens.
The pacts will come. The UPN has just come out of a congress in which the majority has already declared that our only red line to reach agreements on what is best for Navarre and for the Navarrese is EH Bildu.
Has your relationship with PSN improved?
No, but because the PSN is not doing anything to improve it either (…) the Socialist Party, for the moment, does not want to knock on our door at all. I only hear them talking about dialogue and agreement, and they have never wanted to dialogue or agree and what we cannot do is lie. I am not going to lie, I have not lied in politics and I am not going to lie.
I read an interview with Maria Chivite in which she said that she presented the motion of censure because it was impossible to agree on the budgets with the UPN. Hell, it was impossible because he did not want to sit down, because he did not agree to do them jointly, which is what we had proposed, and because he did not agree to wait for the amendments either. That is to say, there had been possibilities for a long time and Maria Chivite knew perfectly well the path that had been traced, which is why she never welcomed me as mayor of Pamplona.
Can they reach governance agreements?
I am not talking about pacts because there are three years left. If you want agreements for Navarre in what we have marked as priorities, we will be there as we have always been, but I fear that your roadmap for the moment is perfectly defined and you are not interested in looking beyond EH Bildu. That is what she has chosen to continue being president. What is important, who is important and why is important. She knows very clearly who and he why.
Have you met María Chivite since she became president?
No, I have not met María Chivite, but I said that at the beginning of the political course I was going to meet or try to meet all the leaders of the parties in which we have something to do and I will propose it to her. If she wants, we will discuss, as if the Socialist Party wanted to agree on things that are good for Navarre, but as if Geroa Bai wanted it, if Contigo-Zurekin wanted it, if the PP wanted it… We are open. The governance agreements will come later. There are 3 years left before the elections.
What is your relationship with the PP?
I have not yet had formal contact. I have regular contacts as with other formations, we get along cordially, we agree on some lines that we consider the same and on others that we have very different. The PP is a national party focused mainly on the government of Spain and I have no doubt that the only alternative and the party that can overthrow the Shivite government with Bildu is the UPN and to say otherwise is to deny a reality.
Will there be other changes in Parliament? For example, in the speaker?
The President of Parliament today is Javier Esparza, he has my full confidence and he has my full confidence, not only the President, but all the parliamentarians, all 15 parliamentarians. In fact, today (Monday) I will meet with the entire parliamentary group and we will talk about how to steer this new political course and how they have shared the new responsibilities among themselves and they have my absolute confidence.
As president, you have no visibility in Parliament.
I am not worried. As I said, I have full confidence. I have a complete coordination work with the spokesperson and the rest of the parliamentarians and we discuss without any problem all the issues that concern each of their areas. Thus, they will continue in close relationship and with full confidence for autonomy, with the knowledge and experience that they have in their areas. Most of them were my parliamentary colleagues during the last mandate. I have very good relations and it will continue like this. I do not see any problem.
Are you considering running on the parliamentary list to have a voice in the next elections?
I haven’t thought about it. Not once has it crossed my mind. I am focusing on the work of spokesperson for the Pamplona City Council because I believe that it is a priority that this changes and that it is not good for the people of Pamplona that we have a mayor from EH Bildu and work internally to strengthen UPN in each of the Navarrese cities.
Is your goal still to become mayor of Pamplona again?
I don’t think about anything about my specific future in 3 years. It doesn’t take a minute of my time, I’m in a hell of a mess.
