PNV (Basque Nationalist Party)

The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) is a political party in the Basque Country advocating for Basque nationalism and self-determination. Founded in 1895, it is one of the oldest active political parties in Spain. The PNV is currently newsworthy due to its ongoing efforts to have Pablo Picasso's iconic painting, 'Guernica,' temporarily relocated to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Recent events include the Lehendakari (Basque President) Imanol Pradales formally requesting the loan from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, repeatedly rejecting the request. Urtasun cites his obligation to preserve the artwork as the primary reason for the denial. The PNV's continued pursuit of this transfer highlights the party's commitment to Basque cultural identity and its desire to showcase the painting, which symbolizes the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, in the Basque Country.