Lehendakari Patxi López remains intent on seeing out his mandate as head of the Basque Government. The President has "the same support" within the autonomous parliament and does not have it "in mind" to leave his post to pursue a career in the leadership of the Socialist Party of Spain. The news was confirmed in a statement delivered by Basque Government spokeswoman Idoia Mendia on Tuesday.

In a press conference following a weekly meeting of the Basque Government, Mendia referred to the possibility that, following the results of Sunday’s General Election, the next autonomous elections in Euskadi would be brought forward and to rumours that López’s name was among possible candidates for the leadership of the Socialist Workers’ Party in Spain.

With regard to calls made by the PNV and Amaiur for the Basque presidential elections, scheduled for March 2013, to be hurried forward, Mendia insisted to those whom she said were "obsessed" with the topic, that it was now "time to keep on working for Euskadi."

López’s cabinet spokeswoman said that the incumbent lehendakari still had "the same support" in Parliament - from the PSE-EE and the PP - than he had at the beginning of his legislature.

What is more, she stressed that the lehendakari remained committed to his objectives for "ending terrorism and working for a peaceful coexistence," and that "recovery from the recession and fighting against unemployment" continued to be priorities. In short, the autonomous government of the Basque Country remains intent on seeing its legislature through to the end.