Basque independence is the principle and a movement for autonomy or self government for the Basque Country, independent of the Government of Spain and the Government of France.
Basque independence is the principle and a movement for autonomy or self government for the Basque Country, independent of the Government of Spain and the Government of France.
After a period of self-government, the Basque government was abolished by the Spanish government in 1839. [1]
Under the Spanish Franco regime during the Spanish Civil War, the Basque language was banned, the rights of Basques were reduced, and the Basque city of Guernica was bombed on behalf of Franco by the Nazis. [1] [2] In response, the Basque nationalist group, Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) was established in 1959 and was responsible for the deaths of over 800 people [1] before it was disbanded in May 2018. [1]
In 1978 a special status was given to "historic nationalities"; the Basque country, Catalonia and Galicia. Pre-autonomous bodies would write up a statute of autonomy which would be subject to a referendum. [3]
Basque leaders submitted a draft of the Statute of Gernika in the same year and the Spanish government then brought about a referendum in October 1979. [4] Basque self-governance returned in 1979. [5]
In accordance with the fuerros, the Basque country (and Navarre) are permitted to collect their own taxes in a manner that generally conforms to Spanish tax collection. [3] During 1979–80, a “constitutional shield” was negotiated, where 6.24% of local tax would be sent to the Spanish central government. [6]
The Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (known as Euskadi since 1979) is made up of the herrialdes of Araba, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa. These three herrialdes have their own Assembly. Navarre has been constituted as a Foral Community since 1982. [7]
The other three herrialdes known as Iparralde) have since 2017 had their own government body of the Agglomeration community of the Basque Country. [7]
The two main Basque political parties in the Southern Basque Country (Hegoalde) are the Basque Nationalist Party and Euskal Herria Bildu. Both advocate for an independent Basque country within a confederal relationship with Spain. [7]
In Navarre, the Basque Nationalist Party is one of the three parties of the Geroa Bai alliance (centre-left to centre-right) which advocates for the right of Navarre to decide its own future. [7]
In French Basque Country (Iparralde), Euskal Herria Bai calls for sovereignty of the Basque Country. [7]
In 1997, around 20,000 marched in San Sebastián calling for independence. [8] [9]
In 2006, thousands of Basques marched in Bilbao for self determination rights for the Basque Country, November 11, 2006. [10]
In 2011, around 40,000 people marched through Bilbao calling for ETA prisoners to be moved closer to their homes and for an amnesty. [11]
In 2014, 110,000 people marched in Bilbao in support of Basque independence and bringing ETA prisoners to be held closer to home. [12]
In 2017, over 40,000 people marched in Bilbao in support of Catalan independence. [13]
In June 2018, a human chain was formed by tens of thousands of Basques, extending 202 km. [14] Around 200,000 people formed the human chain calling for an independence referendum. [15]
The Euskobarómetro study in 2006 by the University of the Basque Country found that 33% of Basques had a “great or moderate desire” for independence from Spain with 47% with “little or no desire for Basque sovereignty.” In 2010, these changed to 30% and 55% respectively and in 2014 to 34% and 52%. [16]
A 2018 poll showed that 32% supported independence with 39% opposing. [17]
A 2019 poll showed that 31% supported independence with 48% opposing. 27% had a great desire for independence, 29% had a little desire for independence and 38% had no desire for independence. [18]
A 2020 poll showed that 41% supported holding a referendum on Basque independence with and 31% opposing. [19] The first Naziometroa poll on Basque independence showed that 42.5% were in favour of an independent Basque state with 31.5% opposing. [20]
The second Naziometroa poll of March 2021 showed that 39.5% would be in favour of an independent Basque State with 29.5% against. [21]
The third Naziometroa poll of November 2021 showed that 40.5% were in favour of an independent Basque state, with 29.2% against, “all or most of the political parties have agreed to hold a referendum on an independent Basque state, it has been approved by Madrid/Paris, and is therefore fully recognised and official”. [22]
Batasuna 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.
Basque nationalism is a form of nationalism that asserts that Basques, an ethnic group indigenous to the western Pyrenees, are a nation and promotes the political unity of the Basques, today scattered between Spain and France. Since its inception in the late 19th century, Basque nationalism has included Basque independence movements.
The Basque Nationalist Party, officially Basque National Party in English, is a Basque nationalist and regionalist political party. The party is located in the centre of the political spectrum.
Herri Batasuna 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 refounded as Batasuna in 2001 and subsequently outlawed by the Spanish Supreme Court for being considered the political wing of the separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA).
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people. The Basque Country is located in the western Pyrenees, straddling the border between France and Spain on the coast of the Bay of Biscay. Euskal Herria is the oldest documented Basque name for the area they inhabit, dating from the 16th century.
The Euskobarómetro ("Basque-barometer") is a sociological statistical survey in the Basque Country, an autonomous community of Spain. It is conducted by the Department of Political Science of the University of the Basque Country.
The politics of Catalonia takes place within the framework of its Statute of Autonomy, which grants a degree of self-government to Catalonia and establish it as an autonomous community of Spain with the status of a nationality, operating as a parliamentary democracy. The Generalitat de Catalunya is the Catalan institution of self-government, which includes the Parliament of Catalonia, the President and the Executive Council. The Parliament of Catalonia is one of the oldest in the world.
Spain is a diverse country integrated by contrasting entities with varying economic and social structures, languages, and historical, political and cultural traditions. The Spanish constitution responds ambiguously to the claims of historic nationalities while proclaiming a common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards.
Both the perceived nationhood of Spain, and the perceived distinctions between different parts of its territory derive from historical, geographical, linguistic, economic, political, ethnic and social factors.
The proposed 2008 referendum was a poll intended to occur in the Basque Country in that year, but prevented by the Supreme Court of Spain at the instigation of the Spanish Government.
Aralar was a Basque socialist and separatist political party in Spain. It was opposed to the violent struggle of ETA.
The 2009 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 1 March 2009, to elect the 9th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with a regional election in Galicia. It would be the first time that the elections for two of the Spanish "historical regions"—namely, those comprising Andalusia, Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country itself—were held simultaneously. This would evolve into an unwritten convention in subsequent years, with Basque and Galician elections being held concurrently in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
The Basque Country, also called Basque Autonomous Community, is an autonomous community in northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa. It also surrounds an enclave called Treviño, which belongs to the neighboring autonomous community of Castile and León.
The ikurrina flag or ikurriña is a Basque symbol and the official flag of the Basque Country Autonomous Community of Spain. This flag consists of a white cross over a green saltire on a red field.
The Basque conflict, also known as the Spain–ETA conflict, was an armed and political conflict from 1959 to 2011 between Spain and the Basque National Liberation Movement, a group of social and political Basque organizations which sought independence from Spain and France. The movement was built around the separatist organization ETA, which had launched a campaign of attacks against Spanish administrations since 1959. ETA had been proscribed as a terrorist organization by the Spanish, British, French and American authorities at different moments. The conflict took place mostly on Spanish soil, although to a smaller degree it was also present in France, which was primarily used as a safe haven by ETA members. It was the longest running violent conflict in modern Western Europe. It has been sometimes referred to as "Europe's longest war".
EH Bildu, short for Euskal Herria Bildu is a left-wing, Basque nationalist, pro-independence political party active in the Spanish autonomous communities of Basque Country, Navarre and Burgos Province.
The Copa Euskal Herria de Fútbol Femenino is a knockout competition for women's football clubs in the Basque Country. Teams from Navarre and Iparralde had also played this competition.
A non-binding Catalan self-determination referendum, also known as the Citizen Participation Process on the Political Future of Catalonia, was held on Sunday, 9 November 2014, to gauge support on the political future of Catalonia. While also referred to as "Catalan independence referendum", the vote was rebranded as a "participation process" by the Government of Catalonia, after a "non-referendum popular consultation" on the same topic and for the same date had been suspended by the Constitutional Court of Spain.
Joxe Azurmendi Otaegi is a Basque writer, philosopher, essayist and poet. He has published numerous articles and books on ethics, politics, the philosophy of language, technique, Basque literature and philosophy in general.
Events of 2014 in Spain
