Basque Nationalism and the Spanish State: Alternative Routes To Nationalist Mobilisation

Preface

nationalism is a tricky research subject, because it is difficult to write about it without being categorized as either a “sympathizer” or a “critic.” This tendency to place tags on writers is understandable, because much of the literature on particular cases is outright political, in the sense of representing explicit support for the cause of a nationalist movement or clear denunciations of their activity, even existence. I found that this propensity for labeling authors as “nationalist” or “antinationalist” was particularly important in the Basque country.This is hardly surprising considering the intensity of the conflict and the polarization of society over the political status of the Basque country. In the study of Basque nationalism, as in nationalism studies in general, the line between politics and scholarship can be easily blurred. some would say this is unavoidable and that a neutral treatment of nationalism and nationalist conflict is impossible. From this perspective, research on nationalism is always underpinned by a concern for either the plight of a “stateless nation” or for the integrity of the state and the unity of the nation it projects. I think that this issue of normative positioning can be largely avoided if one focuses on explaining the emergence and subsequent dynamics of nationalist movements. This is what I have tried to do in the first half of this book. I have used the tools of comparative politics, more specifically historical institutionalism, to present a state-centered argument about the development of Basque nationalism. The primary purpose of this book, therefore, is not to put forward a normative judgement about Basque nationalism or to engage in a political debate about the merits of its claims. rather, the idea is to make a theoretical contribution to the study of nationalism by using the Basque case. at the same time, I did not want to pass up the opportunity to analyze important political developments in the Basque country such as the development by the Basque government of international relations (paradiplomacy), the presentation by Basque lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe of a proposal for the restructuring of the relationship between the Basque country and the spanish state, and the announcement by eta in 2006 of a permanent cease-fire. since this task involves delving into the intricacies of Basque politics, one could argue that it is more difficult to be neutral and objective. still, my objective in discussing these processes and events is to be analytical rather than polemical, that is, to provide a fair assessment of their causes, meaning, and potential consequence. This is where, I think, being an “outsider” can be useful, because I have no emotional attachment to one side or the other, nor do I have a stake of any kind in political outcomes. Preface xi Finally, I also take a chapter in this book to place Basque nationalism in comparative perspective. Here again, my objective is not to show that the Basque nationalist movement is better or worse than others in Western societies. rather, I am looking to demystify nationalism in the Basque country and make the point that the presence of political violence for most of the democratic period does not mean that Basque nationalism is fundamentally different from catalan, scottish, Quebecois, or Flemish nationalism. There is a pattern to the politics of substate nationalism in Western societies (in terms of structure, claims, discourse, arguments, and so forth) that seems to cut across the specifics of a case. In sum, I hope this book represents a contribution to the field of nationalism studies that combines a theoretical purpose with the rich analysis of a fascinating case. Preface xii ...