Will the Spanish Parliament's Decision to Ban the Basque Political Party
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From Charles Powe ll in Madrid ETA Loses Its vóice Will the Spanish parliament's decision to ban the Basque political party Batasunaleadtoit and its sister militant organisation ETA withering away? Or is it rather an attack on free speech, limiting the choices for voters? NA DEMOCRACY, THE BAJ.'1NING This included the recognition ofBasque as were attempts to prevent it from of a political party is never an an official language; a regional parliament registering as a political party as early as uncontroversial event, particularly 'l'.i.th legislative powers; the power to collect 1980, the Spanish Supreme Court declared in a country with relatively recent and administer taxes; a regional executive it legal in 1986. A decade later, the entire experience of non-democratic with full responsibility for areas such as party leadership was tried and convicted rule. The fact that eighty eight percent of health, education, culture and television; for distributing a video produced by ETA, Spain's MPs nevertheless decided to and its own police force. but their seven-year sentences were request the banning ofBatasuna on August In spite ofits outright rejection ofthe revoked by the Constitutional Court two 26 reveals the seriousness ofthe political Spanish constitution and the political years later. In view ofthe likelihood of c1isis afllicting the Basque country, and system stemming from it, Batasuna has being banned, the party briefly changed its above all the determination of Prime regularlyfielded candidates in local, name to Euskal Herritarrok in 1998, Minister José Maria Aznar's government to prmi.ncial, regional, national and renaming itself Batasuna last year. put an end to decades ofimpunity. European elections. In the most recent Predictably, the measure has been criticised Basque regional elections, in May last year, on both legal and political grounds, but it emerged as the fourth largest party, with INVOLVED IN TERROR events since the banning suggest that the about ten percent of the vote and seven of IfAznar's govemment and the majar government's decision was not as the seventy five seats. opposition party have finally decided to misguided as sorne had feared. The party also contests elections in the ban a political organisation with a The partywas born during Spain's neighbouring region ofNavarre, which substantial popular following, it is transition to democracy following Franco's Basque nationalists regard as an integral because they have come to the conclusion death in 1975, fighting its first local election part of the Basque country. There it won that there is now sufficient evidence to in 1979 with a radical left wing, sorne sixteen percent of the vote in 1999. prove that Batasuna is neither a political pro-independence programme. Herri The party tends to do best in local party in the conventional sense, nor even Batasuna, as it was then known, never elections, last held three years ago, where it a mere political front for ETA, but rather accepted the 1979 Statute ofAutonomy picked up twenty seven percent of the vote an integral part of a complex terror which granted the three in Guipuzcoa, sixteen percent in Vizcaya network which has a highly sophisticated Basque provinces of and fourteen percent in Alava. division oflabour. Alava, Guipúzcoa and Batasuna and its predecessors have long As far as finance is concemed, Judge Vizcaya a significant been identified with Euskadi Ta Baltasar Garzón has provided evidence of Elcano, Madrid. leve! of self-government. Askatasuna (ETA), and although there direct transfers between ETA and 26 THE WORLD TODAY I Novemter 2002 Batasuna Money raised through extortion Critics have also voiced concern that the - often collected by Batasuna militants - banning ofBatasuna will deprive its voters POLARISATION has made its ,vay into party coffers, which of a means of eiq)fessing their views, Doubts have been expressed about the have in turn supplied funds to purchase leading to frustration and even gTeater long term consequences ofbanning equipment used in terror attacks. radicalisation. In p1inciple, huwever, there Batasuna. Ifsi xty percent ofBasques At the organisational level, sorne one is no reason why they should not vote for oppose the measure it is probably not so hundred and thirty two elected Batasuna other nationalist parties, as sorne sixty much because they feel it is i11.herently officials have been convicted orare thousand ofthem already appear to have undemocratic, but because they fear it may currently standing trial for direct done in last year's regional elections. Sorne lead to increased political polaiisation as involvement in terrorist activities, such as may also turn to Ezquer Batua, a left wing well as an escalation ofviolence. the provision ofsafe havens. Similarly, party that won five percent ofthe vote in IfBatasuna's former voters do indeed party offices have been used to store these elections and later joined the Basque decide to support the PNV and EA, which explosives and firearms. It is now generally regional government. Alternatively, they control the Basque regional government, acknowledged that youngsters recruited by could of course form a new party, on the the parties may come under growing Batasuna's youth organisation to become understanding that it too will be banned if pressure to denounce the Statute of involved in street violence aimed at police, it trades in violence. Autonomy. The PN"V may also feel political opponents or mere bystanders, compe lled to renew its initially secret which has resulted in severe injuries and 1998 agreement with ETA, which agreed even loss oflife, later graduate into ETA THREATS ANO VIOLENCE to a truce in return for the party's promise proper once they have won their spurs. It is more than alittle ironicthat such to break with Spain. It is unlikely, At a political level, Batasuna has concern should be expressed for a party however, that the PNV, which has provided ETA with free election airtime, whose leaders and supporters have been controlled the Basque regional and acted as its mouthpiece in busy threatening and hounding governrnent since 1980, ,,ill throw demonstrations and rallies. The party has non-nationalist elected officials,joumalists caution to the ,vind and 1isk sacrificing never condemned any ofthe more than and acadernics in an attempt to make the fruits of office in an irresponsible leap eight hundred and thirty killings carried them cease their opposition, sorne of tO\vards an unkn0vvn destiny. out by ETA. Incredibly, after leaving prison whom have subsequently been murdered Finally, it is unclear what the impact of members ofETA convicted for murder by ETA. According to the May poll, carried the ban will be on ET ..A.. itself. Ifthe have been free to stand as Batasuna out before the ban was announced, four government's diagnosis of the relationship candidates at local and regional levels. One out of ten Basques believe that it is between it and Batasuna is c01Tect, they of their number, Josu Ternera, represents impossible to hold truly democratic \\111 find it in creasingly diffi cult to recruit the party in the Basque parliament's elections in the region because of the new members, and to gather infonnation human rights committee, much to the violence against non-nationalist and finance. The evidence suggests that outrage of victims' associations. In short, in politicians, most ofwhom need these problems have aiready begun, though recent years Batasuna has acted as ETA's bodyguards to attend their to,vn council, nobody expects ETA to disappear O\'emight. eyes, ears and mouth. provincial assembly or regional parliament. It is also interestingthat Batasuna Interestingly, according to the same supporters have not come out in strength poll, half ofBasques describe themselves as in defence of their party, a reaction already NOT FREE TO SPEAK non-nationalists, while forty three percent e,i dent in 1997 when its entire leadership Although the government and its see themselves as Basque nationalists, and ,vas imprisoned. There are therefore socialist allies have consistently argued th at seven percent express no opinion. reasons to believe that Batasuna's bark is they are banning an organisation and its Although they are in the majority, however, worse than its bite, and that in the absence activities, not its ideology, critics have been many who define themselves as of the relative impunity \\ithin which it ha~ quick to object that it will be difficult for non-nationalists admit they are too scared operated, its supporters' enthusiasm for those in favour ofBasque independence to to publiclyvoice their political views. ETA may also wane. WT speak their mind freely. According to the latest polls conducted in May bythe U niversity of the Basque Country, only lnternational Events November 2002 three out of ten Basques favour outright independence. This includes not only the NOVEMBER 2 vast majority ofBatasuna voters, but also a Tamil Tiger rebels scheduled to hold third round significant forty three percent minority of of peace talks with Sri Lankan government those who vote for the tv-10 largest NOVEMBER 3 nationalist parties in the region, the General election in Turkey Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) and Eusko NOVEMBER 5 Alkartasuna (EA). Mid-term elections in US The notion that all talk ofindep endence will be banned is patently absurd, since NOVEMBER 7 Gibraltar government referendum the current Basque coalition government itself consists of parties whose leaders NOVEMBER 21 h ave frequently and openly stated that NATO Council meets in Prague what distinguishes them from ETA is not NOVEMBER 24 its alleged goal, ofBasque independence, Early general election in Austria but merely the means they use in seeking INFOR MATIONF ROM f[NS. TH Ef UTURE E'IEN TS NEWS SER'IICE: \'/'1/W.fENS.CW to achieve it. THE WORLD TODAY J November 2002 27 .