Joxe Pernando Barrena Arza (; born 1 November 1965) is a

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

politician, former member of the

Parliament of Navarre The Parliament of Navarre ( Spanish ''Parlamento de Navarra'', Basque ''Nafarroako Parlamentua'') or also known as ''Cortes de Navarra'' (in Spanish) or ''Nafarroako Gorteak'' (in Basque) is the Navarre autonomous unicameral parliament. Functi ...

and member of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...

for

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Early life

Barrena was born on 1 November 1965 in

Pamplona Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...

Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...

. His father José María Barrena Inza was a

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

mayor of Berriozar. He has Técnico Superior qualification in international trade and a degree in international relations from UOC.

Career

Barrena is a translator by profession and worked at the

Txalaparta The txalaparta ( or ) is a specialized Basque music device of wood or stone. In some regions of the Basque Country, (with ) means "racket", while in others (in Navarre) has been attested as meaning the trot of the horse, a sense closely relat ...

publishing house in Tafalla translating

and English. Barrena joined

Abertzale left Abertzale left (, ; ) is a term used to refer to the parties or organizations of the Basque nationalist/separatist left, stretching from democratic socialism to communism. This leftist character is highlighted in contrast to the traditional ...

(Ezker abertzalea) as a youth. He was a municipal councillor in Berriozar from 1984 to 1999. Barrena was first arrested in 1985 for alleged links to the

separatist Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, regional, governmental, or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seekin ...

organization

Euskadi Ta Askatasuna ETA, an acronym for ("Basque Homeland and Liberty"ETA BASQUE ORGANIZATION
Encyclo ...

(ETA). During the police detention Barrena suffered tortures from the Spanish National Police Corps. In 1998, he along with

Arnaldo Otegi Arnaldo Otegi Mondragón (born 6 July 1958) is a politician from the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country who has been the General Secretary of Basque nationalist party EH Bildu since 2017. He was member of the Basque Parliament for bo ...

and Joseba Permach, came to public prominence after the previous leadership of

Herri Batasuna Herri Batasuna (; ; HB) was a Far-left politics, far-left Basque nationalist coalition in Spain. It was founded in 1978 and defined itself as abertzale left, abertzale, left-wing, socialism, socialist, and supported the independence of the Basque ...

(HB) were jailed for alleged links to ETA. Barrena's language skills resulted in him representing HB on an international level. He became a member of HB's national executive in 1998 and was the party's spokesperson from 2001 to 2008. He contested the 1999 regional election in Navarre as an

Euskal Herritarrok Euskal Herritarrok (, EH) was a Basque nationalism, Basque independentist and Socialism, socialist political party in the Euskal Herria, Basque Country. EH was banned in 2003 by the Supreme Court of Spain on the grounds that it sympathized with Eu ...

electoral alliance An electoral alliance (also known as a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral pact, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc) is an association of political parties or individuals that exists solely to stand in elections. E ...

candidate and was elected to the

. In 2001 Barrena became a member of the national executive of the newly formed

Batasuna Batasuna (; ) was a Basque nationalist political party. Based mainly in Spain, it was banned in 2003, after a court ruling declared proven that the party was financing ETA with public money. The party is included in the "European Union list of ...

, the successor to HB which had been dissolved. He was the lead candidate at the 2003 regional election in Navarre for the Autodeterminaziorako Bilgunea (AuB) electoral alliance but the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

annulled the list as it considered AuB to be a successor to Batasuna which had been banned in March 2003. Following the death of two ETA prisoners, Igor Angulo Iturrate and Roberto Sainz del Olmo, Basque nationalists, who did not believe the official version of the deaths given by the Spanish government and instead believed they died because of tortures suffered after their arrests, organised a strike in March 2006. All demonstrations were banned by the Basque government. This resulted in clashes between protesters and the

Ertzaintza The (, or ''People's Guard'') is the autonomous police force for the Basque Country, largely replacing the Spanish Policía Nacional (National Police) and Guardia Civil (Civil Guard). An Ertzaintza member is called an ''ertzaina'' (). ...

police across the

Southern Basque Country The Southern Basque Country (; ) refers to the Basque territories southside of the Pyrenees, within the Iberian Peninsula. Name In Basque language, known as '' Euskera'', natives have referred to the Basque districts as ''Euskal Herria(k)''. ...

. Barrena and other leaders of Batasuna were arrested on the orders of judge

Fernando Grande-Marlaska Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez (; born 26 July 1962) is a Spanish judge and politician who has served as minister of the Interior since June 2018. An independent politician close to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, he has been Member of th ...

who held them responsible for attacks by the strikers. Barrena was released after paying a bail of €200,000, but the charges were ultimately dropped, as no links between the two could be proven. Barrena was a candidate at the 2007 regional election in Navarre for the Nafarroako Abertzale Sozialistak electoral alliance which was also annulled by the Supreme Court. On 4 February 2008 a conference was held at the Hotel Tres Reyes, Pamplona involving Batasuna,

Basque Nationalist Party The Basque Nationalist Party ( , EAJ; , PNV; , PNB; EAJ-PNV), officially the Basque National Party in English, is a Basque nationalist and regionalist political party. The party is located in the centre of the political spectrum. It has been de ...

and

Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left The Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (, , PSE-EE) is a social-democratic political party in the Basque Country that acts as the regional affiliate of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). History Although local ...

which was attended by Batasuna leaders Barrena, Patxi Urrutia and Unai Fano. Barrena and Urrutia were arrested on 4 February 2008 on the orders of judge

Baltasar Garzón Baltasar Garzón Real (; born 26 October 1955) is a Spanish former judge in Spain's central criminal court, the '' Audiencia Nacional'' responsible for investigation the most serious criminal cases, including terrorism, organised crime, crimes ...

for "supporting the activity of an illegal political party". Barrena was released on 3 February 2010 after paying a bail of €50,000. Barrena was co-spokesperson for

Sortu Sortu () is a Basque people, Basque socialist political party. Founded in February 2011, it is the first political party belonging to the Basque nationalism, Basque nationalist "abertzale left" that openly rejects any kind of political violence. B ...

from 2012 to 2016. In April 2019 he was chosen by

EH Bildu EH Bildu, short for Euskal Herria Bildu (English language, English: 'Basque Country Gather' or 'Basque Country Unite'), is a Left-wing politics, left-wing, Basque nationalism, Basque nationalist and Separatism, pro-independence federation of poli ...

to be its leading candidate at the

2019 European Parliament election The 2019 European Parliament election was held in the European Union (EU) between 23 and 26 May 2019. It was the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) we ...

following the resignation of

Josu Juaristi Josué Prieto Currais (born 27 February 1993), commonly known as Josu, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a left-back or a left midfielder for L'Escala. Club career Journeyman Born in Langreo, Asturias, Josu emerged through FC Barcelona's yo ...

. He contested the election as an Orain Errepublikak electoral alliance candidate in

and was elected to the

. He left the European Parliament in September 2022 but was reelected in 2024.

Electoral history

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barrena, Pernando 1965 births Ahora Repúblicas MEPs Basque prisoners and detainees Basque translators Batasuna politicians EH Bildu MEPs Euskal Herritarrok politicians Herri Batasuna politicians Living people Members of the 5th Parliament of Navarre MEPs for Spain 2019–2024 Municipal councillors in Navarre Politicians from Navarre People from Pamplona Prisoners and detainees of Spain Sortu MEPs MEPs for Spain 2024–2029