Aznar is Gone, Good Riddance!

Only a couple of weeks ago José María Aznar was cracking up huge face-splitting smiles, he was riding high and nothing, absolutely nothing could stop him.

He had managed to make the whole world believe that he was a great statesman, the international community and the media were lazy on realizing that they had been fooled by an arrogant bore.

Throughout his eight years as Prime Minister of Spain he has been the mastermind behind the Popular Party's success in bringing back some of the worst elements of the Francoist dictatorship into the political and cultural life of Spain. It helped that the media and the international organizations employed the last 30 years on sanitizing the image of one of Europe's worst dictators.

From his hand the establishment in Madrid suffocated the cultural and political life in Euskal Herria and Catalonya; newspapers were closed down, political parties were banned, elementary schools were accused of being "hotbeds of terrorism", artists were persecuted and activists were incarcerated with often unsustainable accusations of abetting terrorism.

He went to the extreme of threatening the Basque Prime Minister with incarceration if he was to push forward with his plan to a referendum in the Basque Autonomous Community aimed at finding out were the Basque society stands regarding self determination and independence.

He said no to dialogue, it was his way or the highway, his arrogance was so blind that he created the devastating conditions for Europe's worst environmental disaster, the sinking of the Prestige off the coast of Galiza.

During the build up to the war on Iraq the majority of Spaniards opposed the rush to start a war over accusations of Saddam's links to Al Qaida and the non existent weapons of mass destruction. Aznar could care less, it was his golden opportunity to be one of the big dogs mostly after France, Russia and Germany decided to remain on the sideline.

Oh how much he loved that picture of him with his buddies Bush and Blair in Lanzarote. In his mind that picture rivaled that one of the Four in Malta during WWII. He was the second or third most important fella in the world, depending on how the world saw that pansy ass Blair.

Something in his little peanut mind told him that running for a third term would be a little too bold, so he decided to be the puppet master and have one of his minions taking the front stage, he then tapped his dauphine, Mariano Rajoy, to run for the position of Prime Minister of the One and Christian Kingdom of Spain.

And then on a cold winter morning the peyote induced dream came crashing down. But it was not the bombs that killed and wounded so many innocent people what destroyed the foundation of that ivory tower he was living in, oh no, it was the acid of his own lies what in the end melted away his credibility and the credibility of his officials.

Last week he was caught with his pants down trying to hatch a coup d'etat, attempting to walk the elected Prime Minister and his party into a political quagmire, Spain was ready this time and once again his true colors disgusted the public.

A couple of days ago during the summit of European leaders in Brussels he was not smiling that dumb and arrogant smile of his, he sat, lonely, while the European leaders greeted each other before the meeting. He was the fallen angel with all the ugly colors of Fascism smeared all over him.

Good riddance to one of the world's most sinister and idiotic leaders of modern days.

Agur txakurra!

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Andolin Eguzkitza

Eguzkitza

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Encouraging Basque

Today at Berria English:

ELA and LAB unions launch campaign to encourage Basque in companies

A clause calling for “practical steps” will be added in this year’s collective bargaining

Jakes Goikoetxea – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

“It’s high time Basque was introduced into the work sphere and companies”. “The situation of Basque in these areas is on red alert”. These were the messages transmitted yesterday by the ELA and LAB unions. Basque has made progress in many other areas and now it is the turn of work and companies. A campaign has been launched for this purpose: It’s High Time. In Basque, in Companies, a Good Investment . Jabi Garnika, member of the LAB executive committee, stressed: “It is not, however, a campaign for appearing in the photos.” It is based on stark reality. “There is a chasm between the linguistic reality of society and the presence Basque has in the field of work and companies.” Garnika provided figures: less than a hundred out of the 2,600 companies employing over 50 people have implemented a normalisation plan for Basque.

They want Basque to take a qualitative leap forward in the sphere of work and companies and this is why ELA and LAB have announced their commitment to this. Jose Elorrieta, the ELA General Secretary, said: “We are Basque nationalist unions and the normalisation of Basque is one of our concerns. We have supported many initiatives by citizens, but the time has come as a social agent to make active commitments and to encourage the normalisation of Basque,” added Rafa Diez, General Secretary of LAB.

ELA and LAB plan to draw attention to the importance of Basque in their collective bargaining and in their sector agreements: they have made a commitment in this year’s collective bargaining for demands relating to Basque to be included in sector agreements and company agreements. A special clause on Basque will be added calling for “practical steps” in favour of the normalisation of Basque.

“The commitment that may be included in the sector agreements is fairly general,” admitted Leire Txakartegi, member of the ELA executive committee. But she added that the unions wanted to go further: “We want to encourage plans and steps for the normalisation of Basque in companies, so as to gradually change the reality of Basque in these areas.”

ELA and LAB have called on management and workers to adopt an active, effective attitude in favour of the normalisation of Basque, “to turn the woeful situation of Basque in the sphere of work and companies around.” Elorrieta said, “Basque will not achieve normalisation in companies without the commitment or approval of the workers.”

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Attitude Towards Dialogue

Today at Berria English:

After meeting EAJ highlights PSOE’s open attitude towards dialogue

The EAJ says that they hope the change will have an effect on the PSE-EE

Agencies – MADRID

Josu Erkoreka, the EAJ spokesman, yesterday praised the PSOE’s open attitude in the Madrid Congress (lower house of parliament). He made these declarations in Madrid after meeting with the PSOE leaders Jesus Caldera and Alfredo Perez-Rubalcaba. “We have come across an open attitude and a disposition for dialogue which are a far cry from the aggressive, arrogant attitude of the past few years,” said Erkoreka, as he emerged from the meeting. He went on to say he was keen for the open attitude he had come across in the first meeting with the PSOE to pave the way for good mutual understanding with the PSE-EE.

Moreover, he praised the PSOE’s wish for the plural nature of the State to be reflected in the Congress and Senate (upper chamber). The EAJ has in fact asked to be represented on the Presiding Committee of either the Congress or of the Senate.

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To Andolin Eguzkitza

Some sad news at Berria English today:

“When it rains in our very depths” (*)

The unexpected news of Andolin Eguzkitza’s death has caused great sadness in the world of Basque culture

Juan Luis Zabala – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

The world of Basque letters was rocked by a sad piece of news yesterday: the writer Andolin Eguzkitza died of a heart attack yesterday morning in the hospital of Basurto (Bilbo). He had undergone a heart operation after an aneurysm was detected; although the operation appeared to have been successful, he died suddenly afterwards. This poet, novelist, full member of the Euskaltzaindia, lecturer and professor at the University of the Basque Country - EHU, former chairman of the EIE (Basque Writers’ Association) and Member of the Basque Language Advisory Committee of the Basque Government had worked untiringly in support of the Basque language and culture.

He was born on December 6, 1953 in Santurtzi (Bizkaia). He graduated in Romance Languages at the University of Deusto in 1975 and the following year continued his studies at the University of Salamanca where Koldo Mitxelena was one of his teachers. After spending two years at the Linguistics Institute of the University of Cologne he went to America, firstly to Iowa University and then to UCLA in Los Angeles. There he was awarded a PhD in Romance Linguistics for his thesis entitled Topics on the Syntax of Basque and Romance .

By then, however, he had conducted other pieces of research of a less official nature but by no means inferior: at the beginning of the 70’s he learnt Basque with the help of Gabriel Aresti, Xabier Kintana, Joseba Agirreazkuenaga and others. Eguzkitza was said to have amazed Aresti with his tremendous ability to learn the language and to acquire the distinctive features of local Basque language varieties. When Aresti realised Eguzkitza had this gift he regarded him as a “monster”. He was also acquainted with Jon Mirande. Eguzkitza prepared Mirande’s anthology of poetry Orhoituz for publication after the poet’s death. On his return to the Basque Country in the mid-80s he began to work as a lecturer, firstly at the University of Deusto and later at the University of the Basque Country, where he continued lecturing in subjects relating to linguistics. Last September he was awarded the Chair in General Linguistics and Typology.

In 1991 the Euskaltzaindia appointed him as an associate member and in March 2001 he became a full member to replace the late Luis Villasante. His presentation speech was in praise of candour. He headed the Dialectology Committee and sat on the Grammar Committee and on the “Exonomastics” or Foreign Names Sub-Committee, among others.

Apart from poetry collections and novels Andolin Eguzkitza wrote many articles for newspapers, journals and magazines throughout the Basque Country: Anaitasuna, Pott Bandaren Praka, Argia, Jakin, Euskaldunon Egunkaria, BERRIA, Hegats, Maiatz and Elhuyar, among others.

(*) This is a reference to Erraietan barrena euria egiten digunean , Eguzkitza’s translation into Basque of a work entitled Quan plou en les entranyes by the Catalan poet Manel Alonso.

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Aralar's Proposal

Today at Berria English:

Aralar proposes Basque nationalist parties unite to stand in Europe

They have suggested to the EAJ, EA, Batasuna, Batzarre and Zutik parties that they form a coalition to stand in the European elections taking the "Nafarroa Bai" coalition and the Bergara Initiative as a basis

Aitziber Laskibar – BILBO

Aralar has made a proposal to the EAJ, EA, Batasuna, Batzarre and Zutik parties that they form a coalition to stand in the June European elections. As they explained in a press conference yesterday, the proposal they sent to the parties is based on the Bergara Initiative with “further points relating to pluralism and political conduct”. Such a coalition would bear the name Euskal Herria Bai (Yes to the Basque Country) and one of its main aims would be to “encourage efforts to resolve the conflict”. They say this way “efforts would be made to promote the legalisation of all the parties and an improvement in the situation of the Basque prisoners”.

They indicated yesterday that the proposal had already been sent to the five parties in writing and that initial contacts had already begun. They plan to hold face-to-face meetings in due course and hope to receive the answer of each party “shortly”.

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New Model of State

Also at Berria English:

EAJ, BNG and CiU ready to agree on new model of State

The three parties are upbeat about the change of government and believe a period of dialogue has started

Editorial Staff

“We nationalist parties, committed to the functioning of the State institutions and immersed in their functioning have come together to analyse the March 14 general elections.” These are the opening words of the declaration presented yesterday by the BNG, the CiU and the EAJ (the signatories of the Barcelona Declaration 16-07-98). They believe that the era of “imposition” is over and that of dialogue has begun. “We want to establish the foundations for a new way of understanding politics in a new model of State. That is our proposal and our commitment,” says the declaration. In order to achieve this they called on society, the institutions and the political parties to take part in the proposal.

The signatories of the Barcelona Declaration made this statement after their meeting in Madrid yesterday. In fact, they held the meeting to give their view on the Spanish parliamentary elections. Artur Mas, the CiU party chairman, and Josep Antoni Duran Lleida, the party’s general secretary, signed the declaration on behalf of the CiU; Josu Jon Imaz, National Executive Committee chairman, did so on behalf of the EAJ and Anxo Quintana, the BNG spokesman, represented his party.

In the declaration the BNG, the CiU and the EAJ say they are ready for inter-party dialogue “based on mutual respect and the absence of imposition”. They hold the view that dialogue is a necessary tool to normalise political life and to revive democratic and social coexistence. The signatories also cherish the hope that dialogue will be the main feature of this legislative period.

“We are pleased that the citizens have ended the era based on arrogance and the abuse of power by the PP, Government” says the declaration. They believe that the change in government will enable dialogue and debate to be reinstated as a way of working. Furthermore, they are of the opinion that this method will make it possible for agreements between parties to be reached.

After making an appeal for dialogue the BNG, CiU and EAJ outlined their aims for the Spanish Congress and Senate (lower and upper chambers of parliament, respectively) during the coming legislative period. There are three main points: the revival of Democracy, the achievement of which will entail the need to change policies adopted in a number of spheres during the previous legislative period; the legal and political acceptance of the nations, and the recognition of the political asymmetry or difference between the nations and regions.

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Applying to Ikastolak

Today at Berria English what I would call excellent news:

Record number of applications for Ikastola school places in last 10 years

The Partaide School network has asked the Education Department of the Basque Autonomous Community Government to renegotiate the map of direct-grant schools, because their offer has been “stretched to the limit” in many areas

Iñigo Bilbao – BILBO

The Partaide network of Ikastolas has asked the Education Department of the Basque Government to renegotiate the map of direct-grant schools, because the offer of their schools has been “stretched to the limit” in many cases. Another six or seven direct grant streams will be needed to respond to the demand they have received during the registration period that has just ended. This is especially so in Gipuzkoa, because a number of children have been left out due to a shortfall in the number of places.

In Navarre the Ikastolas are full to bursting and in the Iruñea area, even though 78 children more than those authorised by the Administration have applied, all of them will have to be left out. If this upward trend continues in the coming years, the people in charge of the Association of Ikastolas will be looking into the possibility of opening a new Ikastola in Iruñea (Pamplona).

In Bilbo yesterday Koldo Tellitu, chairman of the Partaide Ikastolas, and Pello Mariñelarena, chairman of the Ikastola Association of Navarre, provided details of the reservations for school places: for the next academic year the highest number of children in the last ten years have had their names put down for places in the schools belonging to the Ikastola Association of Navarre and the Partaide Ikastolas Association. There are 2,934 applications for places in all. This year, however, they have been catering for 2,747 pupils. This means a 6.8% rise in the number of children applying for places.

The figure is significant for the Ikastolas of Araba, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia; in 1993 the Public Basque School Law came into force in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country and this has enabled them to see the evolution that has taken place since then: the number who want to study at these schools has been increasing from one year to the next.

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Against the Plan

Today at Berria English:

Basque Socialists propose dropping Plan and reforming Statute of Autonomy

The motions for rejection tabled by the PP, PSE-EE and the “Sozialista Abertzaleak” group did not proceed yesterday during the debate in the Basque Autonomous Community Parliament

Edurne Begiristain – GASTEIZ (Vitoria)

The debate on the Basque Government’s Political Statute began in the Basque Parliament yesterday. Ibarretxe’s Plan or Political Statute Proposal has now passed its first test, after the motions for rejection tabled by the PP, PSE-EE and the Sozialista Abertzaleak were thrown out, because the proposal can now proceed.

The debate on the motions for rejection was long (nearly six hours) and each group stuck to the position it has held until now. In the end, not one of the motions went ahead, because the EAJ, EA and the EB-IU, which make up the Basque Government, voted against all of them. The EB-IU, moreover, withdrew its own motion for rejection and announced that it would be defending its proposal for free association federalism through partial amendments. So the motions of the PP, PSE and Sozialista Abertzaleak were debated in the Parliamentary Committee for Institutions and Interior Matters. Most of the debate centred on the proposals put forward by the Sozialista Abertzaleak group and the PSE-EE to the parties that make up the Basque Government. Arnaldo Otegi proposed to the three parties in the Government that a discussion table, in which consensus could be reached on “the rules of the game” to respect the decisions of Basque citizens, be set up. Jesus Egiguren, in contrast, made a very different offer to Ibarretxe’s government: that the plan should be thrown out and agreement forged with the Socialists on a reform of the Statute of Autonomy. The debate did, however, touch on a number of other issues including the Spanish Constitution, the issue of powers, the Catalan model and the consultation of the people.

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ETA and Zapatero

Today at Berria English:

ETA calls on Zapatero to make “strong, daring gestures”

They have asked him to act “sensibly” to restore “peace based on rights through dialogue”

Editorial Staff

A statement sent by “Euskadi Ta Askatasuna” ( ETA) to BERRIA reflects on the results of the Spanish Parliamentary elections. It is addressed to Jose Luis Rodriguez-Zapatero, the PSOE General Secretary, and Spanish President-elect, and calls on him to make “gestures” towards the Basque Country. The statement reveals a number of reflections by ETA to solve the conflict of the Basque Country. It also makes a reference to two decisions it has taken in recent months. It expresses its view on the deaths of Angel Berrueta and Kontxi Sanchiz. Here follow some word-for-word extracts from the statement, dated March 16, 2004:

“First of all we should like to express our sorrow at the deaths of Anjel Berrueta, killed by a Spanish police officer in Iruñea on March 13th, and Kontxi Sanchiz, whose death on March 14th in Hernani was linked to the attack of the Autonomous Police Force of Spain (…)”.

“These two deaths, which occurred after the acts that took place in Madrid on March 11 and as a direct consequence of them, reveal to us the hypocritical attitude shown by political leaders and heads of political parties towards the deaths (…)”.

“We concluded in the statement we issued on the very day of the elections by saying ‘We trust that those who are going to govern Spain next will have more sense, so that through dialogue we can restore peace for the Basque Country based on rights’. And all we are doing right now is to reiterate this (…)”.

“The settling of the conflict that the Basque Country is enduring will be no easy task. There are many knots to be undone. Each agent has a deeply-rooted idea as to how the conflict could be resolved. Moreover, each one could think that its way is the most appropriate. ETA, too, has its own idea. (…)”.

“There is an international dimension in the conflict that is going on in the Basque Country. Even though its solution will come out of basic consensus among the agents of the Basque Country and France and Spain, it will be indispensable for such consensus to have the backing and guarantee of Europe and the international community. A people’s right to self-determination lies at the heart of the resolution of the conflict. (…)”.

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