On Nov 14, 2009 the Basque Abertzale Left presented a new initiative to resolve the conflict
between the Spanish and the French States and the Basque Country democratically and peacefully.
They presented their document "A FIRST STEP FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS:
PRINCIPLES AND WILL OF THE ABERTZALE LEFT" in the Basque town Altsasu and on an International
conference on conflict resolution in Venice (explanation of the name 'Abertzale Left'
see below at the bottom).
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams welcomed Basque Abertzale Left statement: "Today’s statement
from Abertzale Left is a welcome development. It is a positive and important public declaration
which envisages a route out of the current ongoing conflict. In particular I welcome the
Abertzale Left declaration that the only way to arrive at
a democratic solution is through the democratically expressed will of the people and their
commitment to respect any decision freely and peacefully made by Basque citizens.
Their unconditional declaration of support for a peaceful, political and democratic process
should be welcomed by the friends of the Basque and Spanish peoples, by all friends of the
quest for peace in the Spanish State. So too the commitment to support the Mitchell Principles
as a governing instrument in future dialogue aimed at securing a democratic outcome by
exclusively peaceful and democratic means. This political initiative needs space to bloom.
I reiterate my call in recent days for all involved to create the space. An important first
step has been taken as part of a process.”
Document of the Basque Abertzale Left:
A FIRST STEP FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS:
PRINCIPLES AND WILL OF THE ABERTZALE LEFT
>> Download of the document in English language (PDF, 67kB)
We are pro-independence men and women from different generations that have been
working and continue to work in the construction and development of a project for
nationalliberation. Our objective is the construction of our own state, since we believe it is
the only way of fully guaranteeing the survival and full development of the Basque Country,
in harmony and solidarity with the rest of people in Europe and the World. This is our
legitimate political project which we are planning to achieve with the support of the majority
support of Basque Society.
The current legal and political framework, which divides our territory and limits the rights of
its citizens, has been proven to perpetuate political and armed conflict. It does not allow
Basque citizens to decide their own future without constraints. In this context, the situation
of violence and armed confrontation has lasted much longer than anybody would have
wished, with the associated human and political costs that everybody knows. Our priority is
to overcome this scenario.
The last three decades of conflict have led us to another conclusion: We are a political
movement which has been proven correct by the course of time. This is demonstrated by
events such as the initial demand of a democratic break with Franco's regime, the
rejection by the Basque People of the Spanish Constitution, NATO and the nuclear power
station of Lemoiz. It is demonstrated by our efforts to avoid the consolidation of the trap
implicit in statute of autonomy. It is also demonstrated by our opposition to rogue
capitalism.
It is not only in the fields of opposition and protest where the pro-independence movement
has won political and ideological battles. The proposals for the future and for solutions
recommended by the Abertzale Left have been accepted by significant social sectors, on
occasion by the majority. The initiatives for a negotiated solution, the plans to achieve a
new democratic framework and the dynamics of national construction, have allowed for
unquestionable advances in the Basque political process.
In the last few years we have made progress in some questions which have made not only
desirable but also possible the materialisation of a change of cycle for the whole
citizenship; in the political debate of the last decade, which has clearly identified difficult
problems which require a solution; In the tireless work and struggle of thousands of
persons and social sectors that have permitted us to arrive at the door of the desired real
political change; as well as to leave behind the undesirable consequences of this conflict.
A change of cycle that will replace the armed confrontation, blockade and lack of prospects
with dialogue, agreement and a just, stable and lasting solution for our country.
With correct decisions and with errors we have brought the liberation process to the phase
of political change. Now, the issue is to make this change irreversible. Materialising this
change also requires changes in ourselves. There was a need for a profound reflexion and
selfcriticism, and we are doing it.
The Abertzale Left understands that the issue is not so much knowing and waiting to see
what the other actors are ready to do, but to what we need to do. This new phase needs
new strategies, new political alliances and new tools.
Acknowledging that the objectives to reach in this new phase are the national recognition
of Euskal Herria and the recognition of the right to Self-Determination, it is necessary to
increase the accumulation of forces and to move the confrontation with the states to the
field in which they are weaker. That is the political field. This is why mass,institutional and
ideological struggle, the change in existing balance of forces, as well as seeking
international support have to be the fundamental pillars of the new strategy.
The basic instrument for the new political phase is the Democratic Process. Its activation is
a unilateral decision of the Abertzale Left. Its activation will require us to look for bilateral or
multilateral agreements; with Basque political actors, with the international community and
with both states for the resolution of the conflict. Definitively, the Democratic Process is the
strategic objective of the Abertzale Left in order to reach political and social change.
All these considerations are commonly shared in the Abertzale Left within the debate that
is being held with responsibility. At the same time, though this debate, we are trying to
reinforce and internalise in all of our social and activist base the following principles, which
now we want to share with Basque citizens, political, trade unions and social actors of the
country as well as with the international community:
1. The popular will expressed through peaceful and democratic means is the only
reference for the process of arriving at a democratic solution. This will increase
confidence in its set up and optimal development as well as in the achievement of
agreements that will have to be backed by the citizens. The Abertzale Left, as
should also be done by the other agents, make the solemn commitment to respect
in each phase of the process the decisions that could be freely and peacefully made
by the Basque citizens.
2. The legal and political framework resulting at each moment shall be the
consequence of the will of the people, and shall guarantee the rights of the whole of
the Basque citizenship. The legal framework prevailing at any time cannot be an
obstacle or impediment to the popular will, freely and democratically expressed, but
a guarantee of its implementation.
3. The agreements to be obtained in the development of the democratic process shall
respect and regulate the rights recognised by the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It must also recognise other
international human rights treaties that may concern individual or collective rights.
4. Inclusive political dialogue and equal conditions should be the main tools to reach
agreement between the different political sensitivities in the country. The Abertzale
Left expresses a complete willingness to take part in this dialogue.
5. In the framework of the democratic process, dialogue between political forces
should aim for a solution based on political agreement which will be subject to
referendum. The resulting agreement should guarantee that all political projects
could not only be defended with equal opportunities and without any pressure or
external interference but they could also be implemented if that was the desire of
the majority of the Basque citizenship, expressed though the available legal
procedures.
6. The democratic process must be developed in an complete absence of violence
and without interference, by the use of exclusively political and democratic means.
We are convinced that this political strategy will make advances in the democratic
process. South Africa and Ireland are good examples.
7. We reiterate our commitment to the Anoeta Proposal. According to this, there
should be a process of multi-party dialogue, where all the forces in this country
would participate under equal conditions. This process will take on board the
achievement of a democratic framework through which the citizenship will be able
to decide its future freely and democratically, without any other limit than the will of
the people. We understand that this process has to be conducted in accordance
with the Mitchell principles.
On the other hand, a process of negotiation has to be established between ETA and
the Spanish government on questions regarding the demilitarisation of our country,
the release of Basque political prisoners, the return of those exiled and a just and
fair treatment for all the victims of the conflict.
For all this, we declare without reservations our support for a peaceful, political and
democratic process in order to achieve an inclusive democracy, where the Basque people
freely and without any intimidation of any kind will be able to decide their future.
Euskal Herria, November 14th 2009
Abertzale Left:
The meaning of Abertzale is strongly associated with a particular
uderstanding of Basque nationalism as a progresist and internationalist
movement involving a wide range of organisations such as political
parties, unions, cultural organisations, and significant parts of the
women, environment and internationalist movements who believe in the
liberation of Basque Country. As republicanism has an special
understandign in Irish context, abertzale could not be translated as
mere nationalism without understanding this progresist roll
