The General Deputy of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe, participated in the second day of a symposium series commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Fuero Nuevo, focusing on Private Law. Legal experts examined the relevance and challenges of Foral Civil Law in areas such as personal rights, family law, and inheritance.
The event, hosted by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the General Councils of Bizkaia, and the Basque Academy of Law, took place at the Ilustre Colegio de la Abogacía de Bizkaia. In her address, Etxanobe asserted the importance of Foral Civil Law in the daily lives of the people of Bizkaia, stating, “The fuero is not just a museum piece, although it is that too; it is a living system.” She added, “Of all the foral legacy, it is the one that most people interact with without knowing it.”
Etxanobe also emphasised the link between Foral Civil Law and the self-government of Bizkaia, noting, “Our own civil law and our own taxation are two branches of the same trunk, and they mutually reinforce each other.”
The symposium addressed various topics related to personal rights, family law, and foral inheritance, directly connecting with the principles of the Fuero of 1526 and allowing for an analysis of the contemporary relevance of Foral Civil Law.
The programme brought together jurists, educators, and legal professionals, including Igone Aretxaga, Borja Iriarte, Gema Tomás, and others. This session followed the first day of the cycle, held on 4 November at the General Councils of Bizkaia, which focused on Public Law. That meeting examined the contents of the Fuero of 1526 from the perspective of current democratic governance, as well as challenges related to self-government, taxation, and municipal institutions.
The cycle will continue on Thursday, 19 November, with a third and final session at the Euskaltzaindia headquarters, dedicated to the coexistence of Foral Law in Bizkaia and the Basque language over the past five centuries. This meeting will explore issues related to linguistic rights, Basque literary history, and the impact of the Fuero on Basque literature, featuring specialists in these fields.
This final session will complete the exploration of the public, private, and linguistic dimensions of Bizkaia's forality. As part of these commemorative events, various specialised publications are being presented, including the 13th volume of the “Classics of Basque Law” series titled “Fuero Nuevo de Vizcaya (1526)” and the 14th volume dedicated to “Bizkaia (1526-2026) Foru-testuak euskaraz.” Additionally, attendees can visit exhibitions titled “Basque Civil Law” and “Hitzak lege.”
These cycles are part of the year-long celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the Fuero Nuevo of Bizkaia, featuring a diverse programme of academic, institutional, cultural, and educational events. Organised by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the General Councils of Bizkaia, these activities aim to highlight the historical and contemporary significance of the Reformed Fuero approved in 1526.
