The International Herald Tribune published an article in regards of the reactions in Madrid to Ibarretxe's call for a referendum next year.
I think you already know what the reactions are, here you have the article:
I hope that one day Ibarretxe and all the senior members of the PNV finally understand that no matter what they do to accommodate Madrid, the Spanish propaganda ministry will always link them to ETA, IHT makes my point with this paragraph:
How they dare to accuse someone else of being violent beats me, the sole idea reminds me that not a single Franco era scumbag was ever incarcerated for the crimes against humankind committed by the regime, but Ibarretxe and company need to understand that they will be labeled as violent every single time they call for a greater autonomy for the Basque Autonomous Community.
And to Rajoy I want to say just one thing, the Spaniards have a beautiful country, they can do with it whatever they please, as long as they remain within their borders and stop trying to cling to their colonialist past.
I think you already know what the reactions are, here you have the article:
Basque leader challenges Spain with call for referendum on region's future
The Associated Press
Published: September 28, 2007
MADRID, Spain: The president of the Basque country announced a referendum Friday on the region's future, challenging Spain's central government as it faces a resurgence of separatist violence and general elections next year.
The Spanish government quickly rejected the idea on grounds that under the constitution only Madrid, not a regional administration, can convene a referendum.
The Basque regional president, Juan Jose Ibarretxe, a moderate nationalist, said the referendum on Oct. 25, 2008, would be based on two principles: rejection of violence by the armed separatist group ETA and what he called the right of the Basque people to choose their future — usually interpreted here as code words for independence. However, he did not specify the exact wording of the referendum question.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, speaking during a visit to Russia, said "nothing is going to be done without respect for the constitution."
Zapatero said: "I will listen to the Basque president, but he is going to listen to me also."
Ibarretxe said that, if approved, the referendum would issue a mandate for the government to undertake new peace talks with ETA, which has killed 800 people since the late 1960s in its quest for an independent Basque homeland.
He said he would seek support from Madrid for holding the vote, but go ahead with it no matter what the Spanish government decides.
The Spanish general elections are scheduled for March 2008, and Ibarretxe's announcement is certain to grab a large share of attention during the campaign.
Ibarretxe has been talking about such a referendum for years.
In 2005 it was part of a blueprint he sponsored calling for much greater Basque autonomy from Spain, including separate representation at the European Union and other international bodies and the right to choose between independence and remaining part of Spain.
The plan was approved by the Basque regional parliament, but shot down at the national legislature in Madrid on grounds it was a thinly veiled, unconstitutional bid to break away from Spain.
The resurrected idea comes amid renewed violence from ETA.
The group called what it described as a permanent cease-fire in March 2006, but grew frustrated with a lack of government concessions in ensuing peace talks and set off a huge car bomb at Madrid airport that killed two people in December. The government halted the peace talks.
ETA insisted then that the truce still held, but declared it formally over in June and resumed full-scale attacks in August, although there have been no fatalities.
Opposition Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy described Ibarretxe's idea as "illegal, and a blackmail attack on the constitution." He said it aimed to "take away the right of Spaniards to decide what Spain is."
The Popular Party accuses Zapatero of having fomented separatist sentiments in Spain by encouraging reforms to give the country's 17 regions more autonomy.
I hope that one day Ibarretxe and all the senior members of the PNV finally understand that no matter what they do to accommodate Madrid, the Spanish propaganda ministry will always link them to ETA, IHT makes my point with this paragraph:
The resurrected idea comes amid renewed violence from ETA.
How they dare to accuse someone else of being violent beats me, the sole idea reminds me that not a single Franco era scumbag was ever incarcerated for the crimes against humankind committed by the regime, but Ibarretxe and company need to understand that they will be labeled as violent every single time they call for a greater autonomy for the Basque Autonomous Community.
And to Rajoy I want to say just one thing, the Spaniards have a beautiful country, they can do with it whatever they please, as long as they remain within their borders and stop trying to cling to their colonialist past.
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