| Description |
Given the dismantling of the Cold War, there remains no bipolar leadership to contain and control the variety of nations that make up the countries of the world. With moderate success, international organizations such as the United Nations have tried to maintain control of the potentially explosive situation. Simply stated, the fate of the nation-state is uncertain in this post Cold War world setting. Ethnic legitimacy, once unrealistic, has gained surprising world acceptance and respect. Amidst this international climate, it is incredible that Spain is on the verge of achieving the allegiance of one of its former breakaway nationalist groups. Known as the Basques of Spain, they are a group whose members have renounced the once predominant call for separation from state. The research method of this paper is based on a presentation of the facts as represented through historical texts, articles, documents, and proposals. Recognizing that all published works may be subjective, I have included a variety of material from many experts in the field; including, Basque, non-Basque, Spanish and non-Spanish authors. They represent a broad and detailed account of the issues involved in this study. In an effort to expand the investigation beyond the limitations of scholarly interpretation, personal interviews have been conducted to capture the emotional and moral implications of this situation. What is to be gained from this study of Basque nationalism? The implications are multiple. In the wake of democratic changes, improved representation, and increased recognition of Basque identity, the threat of independence and separation has all but disappeared. It is precisely this phenomenon that has isolated the once-championed ETA organization, a group often credited as leading the Basque nationalist movement to independence. Their strict adherence to violence as a means to separation from the state is shunned collectively by Basques. Their isolation is a tribute to the ability of a democratic state; to stabilize movements to independence. Globally, the case study questions the Western political belief in the necessity of international intervention in national disputes. It shows that a domestic political order sensitive to the nationalist tendencies of its people can successfully realize stability. |
