As ETA moves closer to what looks potentially like a full ceasefire that commits the Basque group to laying down its weapons once and for all, Spain’s politicians are offering some strictly scripted rhetoric. For most mainstream Spanish parties, scepticism and suspicion are the watchwords as they comment on ETA’s shift towards what could be lasting peace and the end of the separatist organisation’s 51-year history. The group’s September 5 announcement that it had halted all “armed offensive actions” was deemed too half-hearted and vague by the governing Socialists and the opposition Popular Party (PP). They regarded it as a ploy to ensure the legalisation of ETA’s political support, … [Read more...] about Batasuna does legwork as ETA inches towards Basque peace
Archives for November 2010
Pope’s visit highlights challenges for Spanish Church
For Pope Benedict XVI, a visit to Spain will seem like a carefree holiday after his recent tour of Britain. That trip to Scotland and England coincided with angry protests at the Vatican’s handling of child sex abuse cases, and calls for him to face legal action. The British secret service even thwarted a reported attempt on the pope’s life by Islamists. No such hostility is expected when the pontiff touches down in Santiago de Compostela on November 6, for a two-day visit that will also take him to Barcelona. Spain has been relatively unaffected by the abuse scandals that have rocked other countries with large Catholic communities. The visit will be “momentous,” the archbishop of … [Read more...] about Pope’s visit highlights challenges for Spanish Church