A leftwing coalition of Basque separatists partly descended from the political wing of the defunct terrorist group Eta has made historic election gains in the northern Spanish region, but was pipped to first place by the ruling, centrist Basque Nationalist party (PNV).
Although polls had suggested EH Bildu’s transformation into a “catch-all party” through its focus on issues such as housing and healthcare would allow it to leapfrog the PNV, the predicted sharp rise failed to materialise.
