The Basque Government (Basque: Eusko Jaurlaritza, Spanish: Gobierno Vasco) is the governing body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. The head of the Basque government is known as the Lehendakari. The Lehendakari is appointed by the Basque Parliament every four years, after a regional election. Its headquarters are located in the Lakua district of Vitoria-Gasteiz in Álava.
The first Basque Government was created after the approval of the first Basque Statute of Autonomy on 1 October 1936, in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. It was headed by José Antonio Aguirre (EAJ-PNV) and was supported by a coalition of all the parties that fought the Nationalist forces in the Civil War: those comprising the Popular Front (PSOE, PCE, EAE-ANV and other parties that sided with the Second Spanish Republic). After the defeat of the Republic, the Basque Government survived in exile, chaired by Jesús María Leizaola after the death of Aguirre in 1960. This first Basque Government was formally disbanded after the approval of the current Statute of Autonomy in 1979, after the death of caudillo Francisco Franco.
Upon approval of the new Statute, the new Basque Government was created (1980), superseding the Basque General Council. Garaikoetxea was the first lehendakari of the new Government.
During the current legislative term, the Basque Government is chaired by Iñigo Urkullu, member of the National Basque Party, thanks to a government agreement with the Basque Socialist Party-Basque Left Party(PSE-EE). Urkullu got the back up of 37 parliamentarians (28 from the PNV and 9 from the PSE-EE) in his inauguration speech that took place in November 2016.
The composition of the Basque Government is established by the President of the Basque Country, also referred in Euskera as Lehendakari, who selects the counselors that will lead each of the Government departments. During the current legislative term the Government is compounded by eleven departments: Employment and Social Policies, Education, Culture and Linguistic Policy, Public Governance and Self-Government, Environment,Territorial Planning and Housing, Health, Home Office, Economic Development and Infrastructure, Treasury and Economy, Tourism, Trade and Consumer and, finally, Labor and Justice.
