ABSTRACT
This chapter presents Basque profiles of longstanding democracies and of the European Union, and provides essential detail on history, electoral system, political parties and cleavages, and governments. The Basque language is quite unique and distinct from that of its neighbours. Due to conflicts arising from the succession to the Spanish throne in 1700, the Basque Provinces were largely unique in Spain in being allowed to maintain their charters and institutions, including taxation powers. Some Basque provinces became in 1979 an Autonomous Community of post-Francisco Franco democratic Spain, the Statute of Autonomy of which was approved by Basque voters in October of that year. Elections in the Basque Country use party list proportional representation. The Basque Country has a fragmented party system, which is divided into Basque and state-wide parties, as national identity is the central cleavage. All Basque governments have been based on the Basque Nationalist Party, which expect for the post-2009 government has monopolized the position of lehendakari.
