Time to time I run into an article obviously written by a Basque-phobe. Well, this time the honor goes to an anonymous writer at the English publication The Economist.
It is just so darn juicy that I am gonna piece it apart paragraph by paragraph, here we go:
Yes, you can see that this magazine is published in London, a city where the political class is having to swallow the bitter pill of the Scottish push for independence. Therein lies the reason about the editorial decision to parrot whatever comes out from Madrid's propaganda ministry.
Of course Zapatero decries Imaz's resignation, after the excellent job he did to derail the peace process now Zapatero faces a future without a high profile traitor within the ranks of the Basque Nationalist Party.
Fortunately the author gives us a comic relief when he mentions that the PNV got the 1.6% vote in the general elections in Spain, my goodness one would think that a fella who writes about "Spain regions" would know that the PNV's area of political influence is reduced to the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre, they are really not that interested on presenting the Spaniards with a Basque Prime Minister option.
Oh and what a relief to read the "Autonomy Mantra" right off the bat. Anonymous should know that autonomy can be reduced if that move fits the political strategy of the power that grants such autonomy, independence on the other side can not be reduced or increased by a foreign state unless of course in the case of war, something that allegedly could never happen again in advanced Europe.
Let us continue:
It is so weird to read how a mouth piece for a government that so willingly tried to starve to death the entire Irish people, a government that bestowed its best honors to pirates, a government that engaged in war crimes like the airborne bombing of unarmed civilians in what is today know as Iraq; calls an armed group by the term of terrorist to then link it with a Basque political party, what is funny is to see that after all the efforts by Ibarretxe, Anasagasti, Imaz and Balza to play by the Spanish rules Madrid and London still consider the PNV as much part of ETA as Batasuna.
Meaning, for Madrid and London (and Paris for that matter) all Basques are terrorists, period.
But there is more:
No comments, clear as water.
Now, a plain out lie:
No sir, referendums are legal both under Spanish and under European Union precepts. And if that was not enough, referendums are enshrined by the UN Charter. Shall I remind you how did Montenegro, Slovakia and the Czech Republic obtained their statehood?
Back to the article:
Not only Catalonia my dear, also Galiza, Brittany, Corsica, Wales and Scotland, which is why the English (and the French) are so worried about the outcome in Euskal Herria.
So, there you go, now you begin to understand why the European Union is so adamant about not trying harder to resolve the Basque issue, three of its most representative states are dealing with a push by the "sovereigntists" for eventual independence, this is why a magazine in London is so willing to publish rubbish against the Basques, because today they scratch the itch on the back of those who in the near future may be scratching in reciprocity.
It is just so darn juicy that I am gonna piece it apart paragraph by paragraph, here we go:
Spain and its regions
Autonomy games
Sep 20th 2007 | MADRID
From The Economist print edition
Tensions with the regions ahead of next March's general election in Spain
POLITICIANS can be more loved when they give up power than when they have it. This seems true of Josu Jon Imaz, leader of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV). His decision to quit has provoked laments all round, including from the prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Mr Imaz's party won only 1.6% of the vote in the 2004 general election. But, like the Basque country, the PNV punches above its weight. It has dominated Basque politics for 30 years, leading every regional government since 1980, including that of the current premier, Juan José Ibarretxe. And it runs a region that has more autonomy than just about any other in Europe.
Yes, you can see that this magazine is published in London, a city where the political class is having to swallow the bitter pill of the Scottish push for independence. Therein lies the reason about the editorial decision to parrot whatever comes out from Madrid's propaganda ministry.
Of course Zapatero decries Imaz's resignation, after the excellent job he did to derail the peace process now Zapatero faces a future without a high profile traitor within the ranks of the Basque Nationalist Party.
Fortunately the author gives us a comic relief when he mentions that the PNV got the 1.6% vote in the general elections in Spain, my goodness one would think that a fella who writes about "Spain regions" would know that the PNV's area of political influence is reduced to the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre, they are really not that interested on presenting the Spaniards with a Basque Prime Minister option.
Oh and what a relief to read the "Autonomy Mantra" right off the bat. Anonymous should know that autonomy can be reduced if that move fits the political strategy of the power that grants such autonomy, independence on the other side can not be reduced or increased by a foreign state unless of course in the case of war, something that allegedly could never happen again in advanced Europe.
Let us continue:
It is not, however, its administrative and legislative power over 2.1m Basques that makes the PNV so important to Mr Zapatero. He cares about two other things. The first is the PNV's role as the engine driving what is often the pushiest region in Spain. Where the Basques lead, others (especially Catalonia but also Galicia) try to follow. The second is the party's attitude to, and fraught relationship with, the terrorist group ETA. The PNV would be a vital contributor to any possible peace settlement with ETA; ETA formally ended its ceasefire in June, although (thanks mainly to good police work) it has not since staged any big terrorist outrages.
It is so weird to read how a mouth piece for a government that so willingly tried to starve to death the entire Irish people, a government that bestowed its best honors to pirates, a government that engaged in war crimes like the airborne bombing of unarmed civilians in what is today know as Iraq; calls an armed group by the term of terrorist to then link it with a Basque political party, what is funny is to see that after all the efforts by Ibarretxe, Anasagasti, Imaz and Balza to play by the Spanish rules Madrid and London still consider the PNV as much part of ETA as Batasuna.
Meaning, for Madrid and London (and Paris for that matter) all Basques are terrorists, period.
But there is more:
The PNV is divided both over how hard to press Madrid and over how friendly to be to ETA. Mr Imaz is a moderate “pactist” who wants to be tough on ETA and not too pushy with Madrid. His opponents, the “sovereigntists”, want to be more aggressive with Madrid and gentler on ETA. Mr Imaz's narrow leadership victory four years ago showed how balanced the two factions are. His sovereigntist rival, Joseba Egibar, came within a whisker of victory.
No comments, clear as water.
Now, a plain out lie:
Mr Imaz is against the go-it-alone referendum that has been suggested by the regional government, to ask Basques to decide for themselves what relationship they want with the rest of Spain. The referendum, originally Mr Ibarretxe's idea, is probably illegal under the Spanish constitution. It would certainly trigger a clash with Madrid. But Mr Imaz failed to block a watered-down plan for a referendum in the PNV national council.
No sir, referendums are legal both under Spanish and under European Union precepts. And if that was not enough, referendums are enshrined by the UN Charter. Shall I remind you how did Montenegro, Slovakia and the Czech Republic obtained their statehood?
Back to the article:
By walking away from the leadership, he claimed, there would be no recurrence of the old PNV nightmare: a permanent split. A rival nationalist party, Eusko Alkartasuna, spun off in 1987. And young PNV malcontents helped to create ETA in 1959. The party's future direction now depends on who takes over as leader. Inigo Urkullu, a pactist, is the strongest candidate. But one of the sovereigntists may yet run.
The Basque country is, as ever, being watched intently in Catalonia, which is both bigger and stronger. With a population of 7.1m, Catalonia is home to almost one in six Spaniards. It has plenty of sovereigntists of its own, a few of whom burnt pictures of King Juan Carlos when he visited Barcelona recently. Catalans were also irritated when the Madrid parliament voted this week to bar sub-national sports teams from international competitions.
Not only Catalonia my dear, also Galiza, Brittany, Corsica, Wales and Scotland, which is why the English (and the French) are so worried about the outcome in Euskal Herria.
In Catalonia Mr Zapatero has, at least, done his homework by securing a new autonomy deal that Catalans approved in a referendum last year. He hopes that the new deal has sorted out Catalonia for a generation—and that if a moderate wins the PNV leadership, a similar deal might even work with the Basques. Yet the sovereigntists are now getting noisier in Catalonia, ahead of next March's general election. Spain's regional tensions seem likely to continue for a while yet.
So, there you go, now you begin to understand why the European Union is so adamant about not trying harder to resolve the Basque issue, three of its most representative states are dealing with a push by the "sovereigntists" for eventual independence, this is why a magazine in London is so willing to publish rubbish against the Basques, because today they scratch the itch on the back of those who in the near future may be scratching in reciprocity.
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