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. Functions ...

and former member of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the 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 adopts ...

for

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Early life

Barrena was born on 1 November 1965 in

Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

. His father José María Barrena Inza was a

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

mayor of

Berriozar Berriozar is a town located in the province of Navarre, in the autonomous community of Navarre, in the North of Spain. It is 6 km from Pamplona, forming part of Pamplona's metropolitan area. Berriozar's population in 2013 was 9.605 people. ...

. 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 publishing house in

Tafalla Tafalla is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. The Postal code is 31300. Tafalla is an industrial and agricultural town. It produces beef, mutton, pork and chicken. History Pr ...

translating

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. Barrena joined

Abertzale left Abertzale left ( eu, Ezker abertzalea, es, Izquierda abertzale; ) 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 h ...

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

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

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

(ETA). In 1998, he along with

Arnaldo Otegi Arnaldo Otegi Mondragón (born 6 July 1958) is a Basque politician who is currently General Secretary of Basque nationalist party EH Bildu. He was member of the Basque Parliament for both Herri Batasuna and Euskal Herritarrok. He was one of th ...

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

Herri Batasuna Herri Batasuna (; en, Popular Unity; HB) was a far-left Basque nationalist coalition in Spain. It was founded in 1978 and defined itself as abertzale, left-wing, socialist, and supported the independence of the Greater Basque Country. It was r ...

(HB) were jailed for 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 ( en, Basque Citizens, 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 ...

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 party, political parties or individuals that exists solely to stand ...

candidate and was elected to the

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

Batasuna Batasuna (; en, Unity) 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 Unio ...

, 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 A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. 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 organised a strike in March 2006 which resulted in violence across Navarre and the Basque Country. Barrena and other leaders of Batasuna were arrested ion the orders of judge

Fernando Grande-Marlaska Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez (born 26 July 1962) is a Spanish judge, serving as minister of the Interior since June 2018 under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Biography Early life and career Born in Bilbao, he is the son of Avelino Grande, an ...

who held them responsible for attacks by the strikers. Barrena was released after paying a bail of €200,000. 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 ; es, Partido Nacionalista Vasco, PNV; french: Parti Nationaliste Basque, PNB; EAJ-PNV), officially Basque National Party in English,) was rejected by party members in November 2011. Nonetheless, the party did ...

and

Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left The Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left ( eu, Euskadiko Alderdi Sozialista – Euskadiko Ezkerra, es, Partido Socialista de Euskadi – Euskadiko Ezkerra, PSE-EE) is a Social democracy, social-democratic List of political ...

which was attended by Batasuna leaders Barrena, Patxi Urrutia and Unai Fanorekin. 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 former Spanish judge. Garzón formerly served on Spain's central criminal court, the ''Audiencia Nacional'', and was the examining magistrate of the ''Juzgado Central de Instrucción No. 5'', ...

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 ( en, Create) is a Basque socialist political party. Founded in February 2011, it is the first political party belonging to the Basque nationalist "abertzale left" that openly rejects any kind of political violence. Before Sortu, sections o ...

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

EH Bildu EH Bildu, short for Euskal Herria Bildu ( en, link=yes, Basque Country Gather or Basque Country Unite) is a left-wing, Basque nationalist, pro-independence political coalition active in the Spanish autonomous communities of Basque Country, Navar ...

to be its leading candidate at the

2019 European Parliament election The 2019 European Parliament election was held between 23 and 26 May 2019, the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent more than 512 million peopl ...

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 CF Peralada. Club career Journeyman Born in Langreo, Asturias, Josu emerged through FC Barcelona's ...

. He contested the election as an

Ahora Repúblicas Republics Now ( es, Ahora Repúblicas, ca, Ara Repúbliques, eu, Orain Errepublikak, gl, Agora Repúblicas, an, Agora Republicas,

electoral alliance candidate in

and was elected to the

. He left the European Parliament in September 2022.

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