8 - The Basque exception: questions of communality and democracy

Summary

The crucial exception in terms of Spain's “consensual” transition is the Basque Country. In contrast to communist, socialist, and Catalan leaders, who became more moderate and consensual as the transition progressed, Basque nationalist leaders became more estranged from “consensus” throughout the transition. The Basque Nationalist representative, Juan Ajuriaguerra, signed the Moncloa Pacts in October 1977 “with reservations”; but there were no Basque representatives on the Congressional Subcommittee on Constitutional Affairs (Ponencia), the subcommittee formed to draft the Spanish Constitution. As shown in Table 7.2, over half the Basques abstained in the 1978 Referendum on the Constitution, as compared with 31.7 percent in Spain as a whole. Moreover, of Basques who did vote, nearly 24 percent cast negative votes, in comparison with only 4.6 percent of Catalans, and 7.8 percent of Spaniards (see Table 7.2). Most alarmingly, as Basque participation in the “period of consensus” declined, violence by the Basque insurgent group Euzkadi ta Azkatasuna (Basque Homeland and Freedom – ETA) increased. As shown in Table 8.1, between 1968 and 1975, ETA was responsible for thirty-four deaths; but, despite an important lull in 1977, ETA was responsible for sixty-seven or more deaths each year in 1978, 1979 and 1980.

Historical background

The Basque Country lies in northern Spain and southwestern France, where the Pyrenees meet the Bay of Biscay (see Map of Spain).