Back from the Basque Country
Since Nuala O'Loan is heading off to the Basque country to try to sort out the problems of ETA and the Spanish, I thought I'd do a recce to assess the challenge she faces.
I'm just back from two days there, which was actually nothing to do with the former Police Ombudsman. The Basque regional government had organised a conference on journalism in conflict areas, which they invited me to attend.
ETA declared a "permanent" ceasefire in March last year, one of a series of such announcements in recent years. There then followed contacts between ETA and the Spanish government facilitated in part by Sinn Fein. But the talks weren't successful and in December an ETA bomb exploded at Madrid's Barajas airport killing two Ecuadorian immigrants.
In June this year ETA announced they were ending their shaky ceasefire. Last month a booby trap went off under the car of a bodyguard working for a local Socialist politician in Bilbao.
Right now the impression I got is that the political situation there feels similar to the atmosphere here in early 1997. The IRA ceasefire had broken down, and everyone knew that it would not be restored until the Westminster election had taken place, as republicans were waiting for Tony Blair.
Similarly, a Spanish election is due next year. So the restoration of an ETA ceasefire and any fresh contacts with the government don't seem on the cards until that is over and done with.
There are lots of parallels with our situation which have been documented on many occasions. So in the spirit of being contrary here are a few differences.
One thing that struck me as I wondered around San Sebastian was how prosperous the place looks. It's one of Spain's richest regions full of substantial and stylish buildings. If our troubles were fuelled by deprivation, the same can't be said of the Basque country.
Their level of autonomy makes Stormont look like a town council. They collect ALL the taxes then have a haggle with Madrid about how much they should pass on to central government. What Peter "rate freezer" Robinson would give for that grip on our finances.
Like Irish nationalists and republicans, Basque nationalists emphasise the importance of the right of "self determination" of the Basque people. If, for example, they could have a referendum on independence then, like our joint referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, this would pull the rug out from under ETA's claim to be acting on behalf of the Basque people.
However I don't think the government in Madrid could sign up so readily as did Peter Brooke and John Major to the idea that they have "no selfish economic or strategic interest" in the Basque country. From at least the late 80s if not before, it seemed clear that London would sign up to any solution which would end the violence. But there is no stretch of ocean between Madrid and Bilbao, and the Spanish would have real concerns that Basque separation could trigger a domino effect in other regions like Catalonia and, more recently, Galicia.
This concern may help explain the contrast between the British government's willingness to make concessions to keep the peace process wheels oiled and the Spanish government's harder line stance.
I'm 
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San Sebastian - surely you mean Donostia?
Very interesting and informative. Nice to hear a fuller version of what goes on in these places of low-level/civilian conflict, rather than the usual easy "it's just like here" stuff.
Any chance of a full article on the website?
* Concubhar O Liathain wrote:
"San Sebastian - surely you mean Donostia?"
Perhaps Mark can adopt the convention that he begins his pieces with San Sebastian and then follows elsewhere with Donostia.
Or he could be euphamistic, so as to be totally neutral. "The Basque town with two names - you know the one"
In view of comment No1 is the first task for Nuala to sugest the place is called stroke city.
Is there a County San Sebastian?