2007/III/19
THE NON STOP RECONQUEST OF NAVARRE

Towards Independence and Socialism EUSKAL HERRIA BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 171

In order to understand what is going on in Euskal Herria you have to look carefully at Navarre (the South Eastern Basque Country). It is one of the keys of the conflict and it will be one of the keys for the resolution of the conflict. Navarre became a kingdom from the 10th century up to the 16th century. It was the political institution the Basque people chose for themselves. A kingdom which lay at both sides of the Pyrenees; it was never a huge kingdom with very changeable borders. It was a kingdom previous to France and Spain, with its own diplomatic representation in Europe up to the 16th century. Even if it was conquered by the Spanish army in 1512, it continued fighting until 1521, when it was completely destroyed the patriotic but fragile Navarre army which still resisted.

Since that moment, both France and Spain have tried very hard to delete any trace of identity of the little kingdom that they had conquered. As for spain, on the 19th century there happened two wars which in reality were much of an insurrection: rebelliousness against the centralizing regimes from Madrid. There was almost a third world, but the government of Madrid, as it had serious problems due to the insurrection in Cuba, decided to change its tax policies. The people from Navarre in order to commemorate that victory decided to build a monument to their own Laws and Jurisdiction, an expression of Navarre's people opposite to any sorts of state's centralism.

In Navarre there is an ample conscience of their own peculiarity and identity, this approach has not always to do with nationalism, even if they have many elements in common with the rest of the Basque people: the same language, culture, music, place names, surnames... If this feeling continues it would not be difficult that Navarre would come closer to the rest of the Basque population. And this is precisely the great conflict for Spain. If Navarre relates to the rest of the Basque territory, there will be a new political subject different to the rest of Spain. And if this happens, the project for the unity of Spain will be in crisis. The only possible solution they have found is to make bigger the difference between the Basque people creating two opposite realities which have little to do with each other: Navarra on one side and Euskadi (the Basque Western autonomous territories within Spain) on the other side.







The Spanish right wing always attacks on the same side



On the year 1931 the Town Halls of Euskal Herria by majority chose a new Basque Statute of Autonomy for themselves. The government from Madrid along with all its local institutions made everything possible for them so that the Basque Statute of Autonomy, presented at a national level within Euskal Herria, should not thrive. The left republican wing understood that any politics favouring any divisions within Spain, something they had previously defended, would make the right wing stronger. They tried to rectify, but it was too late. The army men had connected the political leaders from Navarre with the pro-coup movement, and so that attempt of Basque unity failed. The previous republican Navarre had a big social support, but later fascists exterminated both Basque and republican conscience. Even if there was no war front, more than 3000 people were executed on the curbs from Navarre, with no previous trial.

That massacre by the fascists had a huge influence but it did not extinguish the Basque and left wing feeling of Navarre. When Franco's reform happened (1974-79) the political atmosphere in Navarre was very effervescent; political and social movements, even if very diverse, they had several claims in common: rejection of Franco's regime, a bet for a democratic breaking off with Spain, social demands and a growing Basque national conscience. Franco's movement made a thoughtful consideration about this subject: if Navarre is under control, the political reform will be successful. If it is not successful Euskal Herria will emerge and it will ask for its own national rights and if this happens, the Autonomic model for Spain will possible. As a result they once again made use of violence from Madrid, they prosecuted the left wing parties and did finally once again conquer Navarre. The transformation of spain as a state based on autonomic regions meant the partition of Euskal Herria: on the Spanish side, on one side the Basque Autonomic Region (Euskadi) and on the other Navarre. The middle-class elites of both territories helped Spain in that process and so they were very well recompensed.



The salvation of the homeland (Spain)


The defeat in the general elections in 2004 made that all the alarms of the right wing should go off. There is a general feeling and opinion that the current political context has already expired and that it is about time to do the real democratic transition. That would mean to give the Basque citizens the chance of freely choosing for themselves how they want to organise themselves.

The Spanish right wing want to regain the power, since they do no longer trust the socialists. As for the socialist party, they are trying to readapt the existing political model to reinforce it "changing something for not changing anything in reality". The Spanish right from its usually extreme point of view, considers that the unity of the state is in danger and so, it considers its task to lead the country. As usual, from the PP's point of view the key consists in: recovering the government in Madrid and reinforcing the division between the Basque people, in order to reconquer Navarre for Spain. On the 10th of March they did occupy Madrid. On the 17th of March they did invade Navarre with the same aim.



The Navarre unionism has called the whole of Spain so that it should come in order to help; it is the usual strategy. Thanks to the demonstration they have been able to achieve that the society of Navarre should now be more tense, increasing the already existing social fracture. The demonstration has been assisted by the ultra-right: the Spanish Falange (a fascist party), the Foro de Ermua... There has been no other political party or trade union joining it.

The Spanish Socialist Party of Navarre could not back a demonstration which is contrary to its own principles, but its militants are polluted by Spanish unionism; that is the reason why The Spanish Socialist Party's attitude has been ambiguous: it has tried to clear off the demonstration by the PP, it has made clear its opposition to any Basque national integration, it has asked to the right wing to call off the demonstration. IU and Nafarroa Bai have decided to have nothing to do with the demonstration. As for the Basque patriotic left wing, LAB, the trade union had already organised a demonstration on that same day in order to denounce the industrial delocalisation. Even if the Spanish right wing chose later the very same day and hour for their demonstration, LAB kept its. The Spanish government representative in Navarre gave permission to both demonstrations and assured that he would take all the possible measures so that there should be no incidents.


A demostration with contradictions


About 55.000 right wing people came from the whole spain in order to take part in the demonstration under the slogan: "Fuero and Freedom Navarre is not negotiable". They ask for the freedom of the citizens of Navarre in order to choose their own project, and at the same time, they asked that the rest of Spain should back the unionist movement. It is said that Navarre is not negotiable, and even if so, that is what happened after Franco when the political parties had to accept the limits that the Spanish army imposed; that is the reason why they were accused of being "traitors".

The demonstration finished in front of a monument which celebrates the victory against Madrid, and which underlines that the citizens of Navarre are equally Basque. The invaders thought that they had occupied the city, but they could not go to the Old Town, where hundreds of neighbours made big noise using their pans, and young Basque people shouted that Navarre is Basque.

At 5:30 LAB's demonstration started. 8.000 people took part in order to show their bet for Euskal Herria. Both realities within Navarre were present: one of them of a working class kid asking for the right that the citizens of Navarre should have at the time of democratically choosing their future. The other reality in the hands of a middle class bourgeoisie who pretends to give the Navarre people's right to decide to Spain.




Euskal Herria, 23rd of March 2007.