Nationalist Movements in the Basque Region of Spain and Northern Ireland - Essay Example

?Contrast between the Nationalist Movements in the Basque Region of Spain and Northern Ireland The question as to why some national militants opt to seek for electoral politics while others resist and destroys it completely has puzzled many leading to many researches being conducted aimed at finding the answer to this question. Cynthia L. Irvin is one among the many researchers who have made an attempt aimed at coming up with the answer as to why this is so. According to his novel published in 1999, Irvin explore two cases pertaining to electoral interferences by nationalist movements competing in the political arena (Irvin 1999, p.128). The two nationalists include the one in Basque Country in Spain and the other in Northern Ireland. Irvin did provide a thorough analysis from the research particularly on issues pertaining to the adoption of different principles and strategies by the insurgent organizations from military struggle to parliamentary politics. The research offers an insight as to what makes such militant groups to cease engaging in violence and seek for a democratic and institutional political struggle. The novel reveals how Irvin conducted a field study in Basque Country in Spain, as well as in Northern Ireland where she developed a model connecting Herri Batasuna and Sinn Fein, to adjustments to external environment. To come up with a good conclusion as to the findings, she first conducted an interview with a sample of over 100 Sinn Fein and Harri Batasuna movements (Irvin 1999, p.128-129). Irvin’s analysis provides strong implications as far as the study of ethnic identity and social movements are concerned since it gives a valuable viewpoint into the strategic interactions, as well as conflict-ridden correlations between political parties and social movements. This paper will contrast the nationalist movement in the Basque of Spain and Northern Ireland according to Irvin’s analysis. The successful peace resolution in Northern Ireland is said to have influenced many countries, which have undergone a similar situation. This has particularly been noted among the nationalist movements of Basque region of Spain that have attempted adopting a similar strategy in a bid to solve their problem according to Irvin. Irvin in her publication in 1999 noted that there were many similarities between the two conflicts in Basque Country and Northern Ireland. In her analysis, she points out that in both cases, the nationalists movements made attempts aimed at altering the state of independency in one section of the country. In this case, she noted that both nationalists’ movements wanted to obtain their own autonomy from the government an issue, which generated into a conflict when the government resisted the move. Irvin (1999, p.129) also noted that the conflicts generated by both nationalist movements led to a violence that left many people dead and properties destroyed. What is noted is that, in both conflicts, many civilians than the militants lost their lives. In addition, it is Irvin reported that in both cases, the nationalist movements were divided between radical factions (Batasun/Sinn Fein) and the PNV/SDLP. The two nationalist movements, the Basque and Irish also share a lot in common according to Irvin. This is because the Basque Nationalist movement got their inspiration from the Irish nationalist movement. For instance Irvin (1999, p.131) notes that the Aberri Eguna of the Basque faction was inspired by the Irish uprising in 1916 during the Easter holiday. Irvin (1999, p.131) notes that one of the major different between the two nationalist movements, is that the Irish Nationalism is made up of complicated religious factions than the Basque movement. In this regard, she noted that the Irish movement was composed of both the Catholics and the Protestants. Nonetheless, Irvin noted that the two movements share peculiarly non-western sensibility with regard to what the proper origin is for the state and the nation. In this regard, Irin reveals that ethnicity determines a lot for both the Irish and the Basque. They include the loyalty, and their state’s boundaries. In this regard, the two are said to subscribe to the cultural nation concept rather than the strict state nation concept. Irvin (1999) reveals that both the Irish and Basque movements opposed the claim of autonomy by Great Britain and Spain respectively with regard to their peculiar ethnic backgrounds. Also, despite the fact that the both the Irish and Basque have been facing many challenges in both have both have historically fought for political independency within their countries. What is noted by Irvin, is that, Basque movement has mainly fought in as a way of protecting the peculiarity of their Euskera, language, which dates back to pre-history. Eirvin (1999, p.130) reveals that more than 30% of Basque, accounting for about 2.5 million people speak Euskera meaning that it is an important language that must be protected. The Irish movement, on the other hand, has for a long time focused more on protecting their Gaelic language. Irvin also noted another important different between the two nationalists particularly with regard to their approach to solutions. In this regard, Irvin (1999, p. 130) noted that the Irish Nationalists were very violent and in most cases used violence as a means of achieving their political agenda. However, Basque faction mainly concentrated on pursuing peaceful and diplomatic means for addressing their problems. Despite the two contrast means of solving problems, the violent means appeared to have prevailed over the peaceful means. This is evident from the fact that the violent means sought by the Irish nationalist movement led to a peace, while Basque movement are still struggling to achieve the much desired peace in the country. Nevertheless, it is reported that, unlike the rest of Basque nationals, the ultranationalists ETA faction used terrorism as a means of achieving their political autonomy. The ETA is a faction that separated from the PNV wing in 1959, and used first engaged in terrorist cat in 1968 claiming the life of a police chief. However, ETA’s most memorable terrorist act was witnessed in 1973 when the faction claimed responsibility for killing the Spanish Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco in the Spanish Capital Madrid. The ETA maintained that the killing was a revenge attack by the movement against their Spanish government for their killing of Basque nationals. Irvin says, “ETA-Militar is the number one enemy of Spain” (Irvin 131). This statement was attributed to the fact that ETA was engaging in terrorist activities in a bid to force the government to heed to their desired. These acts are quite similar to the violent tactics employed by the Irish nationals. Showing more connection between the Basque and Irish nationals, Irvin (1999, p.141) reveals ETA formed a political movement called Herri Batasuna similar to the Sinn Fein of the Irish nationals in 1978. Irvin noticed that during the formation of this political wing, the Spanish government was complaisant and did not want to engage the group in negotiation. This led to fighting between the government and ETA faction until ETA started negotiating for a ceasefire with the Spanish government in 1998. It is noted that the ceasefire agreement sought signed by the Northern Ireland in 1998 acted as a great inspiration for Herri Bastasuna and ETA thereby ending the long fought war. Irvin (1999, p143) noted that in both cases of Spain and Northern Ireland, citizens were unhappy with the brutality sponsored by the AETA and the Irish Republican Army (IRA). It is this disgust that catalyzed the peace process in both Spain and Northern Ireland. For example, the 1997 kidnapping and murder of Miguel Angel Blanco, the Basque politician caused disharmony and unrest in the entire Spain, leading to street protests against the killings. A ceasefire was later brokered in 1998 when the PNV were convinced to believe that ETA had stopped violence. Nevertheless, unsatisfied with the happenings, ETA continued with the violence in 2000 killing a Spanish officer stationed in the Spanish capital Madrid using a car bomb, one of the movement’s favorite terror weapons. This led to a continued state of uncertainty (Irvin 1999, p.135). Away from the political arena, Irvin (1999, p.136) noted a number of connections between the Irish and Basque Nationals. The similarities have particularly been witnessed in the genetic makeup of these people. For instance, a DNA research conducted on the Celtic Nationals was found to be very similar to those of the Basque people. This prompted researchers to conclude that the two might have come from a single origin. Irvin also found out that the two nationals movements were susceptible to different kinds of discriminations seen to be interrelated. For instance, she pointed out that the racial discrimination the Basque national movements were subjected could be compared to the religious discrimination seen within the Irish national movement. This was particularly witnessed among the Protestants and the Catholics in Ireland. Irvin states, “Over half of both Sinn Fein and Herri Batasuna activists were equally likely to state that they had been discriminated against because of their ethnic origins” (Irvin 136). In conclusion, as Irvin noted, ETA was formed in an atmosphere where the Basque nationalists felt that violence was the only way they could obtain their political autonomy and peace especially after the Franco government showed no will to tolerate or show mercy to the Basque nationalism. This excerpts show that many militants tend to resort to violence as a last resort when their demands are cannot be meet by the government in place through diplomatic and peaceful means. References Irvin, Cynthia L. 1999. "Republicans and Abertzales: Pathways to Activism " in Militant nationalism: between movements and party in Ireland and the Basque Country -- Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Read More