At the beginning of June, dozens of white dove-shaped balloons were released into the sky above the Basque city of Bilbao. The gesture was to mark the end of Gesto por la Paz, a platform of peaceful anti-ETA campaigners, who after 28 years believed their work had been done. As a symbol of optimism and peace in the Basque Country it could hardly have been more striking. ETA has not killed on Spanish soil since 2009 and in October 2011, it declared a “definitive” end to a campaign of violence that started in the late 1960s. And yet, the weeks both leading up to and since Gesto por la Paz’s closure have somehow cast doubt on the idea that the Basque Country is enjoying a new era of peace. … [Read more...] about The end of ETA…still?
Basque
Statistics and identity
“I adore the independence that you breath in Galicia,” said actor Martin Sheen, himself the son of a Galician, during a visit to the region in 2011. But he wasn’t talking about that kind of independence and, as a new poll shows, Galicians aren’t very interested in breaking away from Spain at the moment. According to the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), only 19 percent of people from the region describe themselves as “nationalist”. This is perhaps not surprising given that of Spain’s three northern “historical nations” – the others being Catalonia and the Basque Country – Galicia has traditionally had the most muted independence movement. But more interesting than the … [Read more...] about Statistics and identity
Farewell to ETA’s destroyer of peace
When Xabier López Peña was arrested in Bordeaux in 2008 on terrorism-related offences, he hardly looked like an archetypal leader of ETA. Portly, middle-aged and bespectacled, he didn’t even have the carefully sculptured mullet that so many Basque separatists insist on sporting. But as he was bundled away by French police, his wild shouts and screams at TV cameras hinted at the true nature of the man. López Peña, who died of a brain haemorrhage on Saturday, was held responsible by many for the collapse of the 2006 peace process that offered the hope of a lasting solution to the Basque conflict. As a result, many Basque separatists, as well as the mainstream politicians in Madrid, came … [Read more...] about Farewell to ETA’s destroyer of peace
Has Rajoy turned the corner? Of course he hasn’t
In the lead-up to the weekend’s elections in Galicia and the Basque Country, it was striking how much attention was focused on the former. The Galician vote, we were repeatedly told by both the international and Spanish media, will reflect widespread discontent at Mariano Rajoy’s economic policy. But the result saw Rajoy’s Partido Popular (PP) maintain its majority and increase its share of seats. What are we to make of this if we believe the previews that presented Galicia as a faithful representation of Spain as a whole? Is Rajoy bouncing back? Of course he isn’t. The central government in Madrid is still in as much difficulty as it was before the Galician election and Rajoy’s … [Read more...] about Has Rajoy turned the corner? Of course he hasn’t
Bittersweet celebration for Basques a year after end of ETA’s violence
During a visit to Gipuzkoa recently, it was hard at first to gauge how important the Basque regional elections are to people there. Today marks a year to the day since ETA announced the “definitive” end of its campaign of violence and Sunday’s vote will be the first without the terrorist group’s shadow looming large. And yet, when I talked to locals about what all this historic fact meant to them, many replied that rather than celebrating the peace, they were fretting about the economy. The Basque Country has weathered Spain’s crisis better than most, but it still has a jobless rate of 15 percent. “People are thinking so much about how to make ends meet that the other stuff doesn’t … [Read more...] about Bittersweet celebration for Basques a year after end of ETA’s violence
La Liga: Basque derby highlights Bielsa’s lack of ideas
Heading into Saturday night’s Basque derby, Real Sociedad had failed to secure a victory over their regional neighbours for two and half years, with Athletic Bilbao having won both games last season. Not so long ago, Los Leones would have been clear favourites for the match having reached both the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Europa League final last year. This season, however, has seen Marcelo Bielsa’s men get off to a poor start, winning just one of their opening five Liga matches and it was to get no better at the Anoeta this weekend. Real Sociedad’s Antoine Griezmann had two dangerous efforts well saved by Gorka Iraizoz in the first-half but he finally broke the deadlock when his shot … [Read more...] about La Liga: Basque derby highlights Bielsa’s lack of ideas
Clemency for ETA?
As early Basque elections loom, there is one issue that rages on despite efforts by the central government to let it lie: that of the controversial release of convicted ETA killer and kidnapper Iosu Uribetxebarria Bolinaga. On September 5, the Public Prosecutor's Office exercised its right to appeal against a ruling in favour of his conditional release. With a regional election scheduled for October 21, it is no surprise that even those in the Basque Partido Popular (PP) have been keen to nip the Uribetxebarria issue in the bud. Even Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy hoped to silence those in his party – most prominently Basque MEP Jaime Mayor Oreja and Madrid premier Esperanza Aguirre – who … [Read more...] about Clemency for ETA?
Remember Gernika – but don’t forget Chaouen
The last few weeks have seen commemorations, mainly in the Basque Country, of the 75th anniversary of the bombing by German and Italian warplanes of the historic town of Gernika at the behest of General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Around 4.30 in the afternoon of April 26, 1937, a joint squadron of 23 German and Italian planes appeared in the skies over the historic, and undefended, Basque town. Over the next five hours they dropped a total of 22 tons of high explosives and incendiary devices that burned for days, destroying 70 percent of the town, and killing and wounding at least 1,600 people, around a third of the population. Gernika remains a powerful symbol of … [Read more...] about Remember Gernika – but don’t forget Chaouen
Rubber bullet ban won’t solve Spain’s policing problem
As Spain’s Basque Country continued to reel from the death of 28-year-old Iñigo Cabacas, the region's interior department announced plans to restrict the use of rubber bullets as of January 1, 2013. An autopsy revealed that Cabacas died after receiving a rubber bullet to the head during riots following Athletic Bilbao's Europa League victory against Schalke 04 on April 5. The claim by the Ertzaintza, the Basque regional police, that no rounds were fired from a distance of less than 22 metres is contradicted by the conclusions of the autopsy report, which shows the fatal shot to have been fired from a much smaller distance. The rubber bullet restriction announcement by Basque interior … [Read more...] about Rubber bullet ban won’t solve Spain’s policing problem
Common sense prevails as Bildu is allowed to run in elections
Just as the campaign leading up to the May 22 local elections was starting, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled on Friday that the Bildu Basque nationalist coalition should be allowed to take part. A vote of six votes to five reflects the intense political pressure surrounding this landmark vote. While there will inevitably be outraged voices in Madrid, the ruling is an encouraging sign that Spain’s highly politicised courts can take tough decisions based on the evidence before them, rather than vague suspicions that ETA terrorists must be at work behind the scenes. The izquierda abertzale, the pro-independence Basque left, has made substantial moves to prove its own democratic … [Read more...] about Common sense prevails as Bildu is allowed to run in elections