The Transition in Euskadi: a pacification process?

Abstract

The Transition in Euskadi: a pacification process?

In this research some issues regarding the Transition in Euskadi are discussed and in particular to what extent its development and outcome were affected by the Civil war. The Author maintains that the climax of Basque nationalism in the Seventies and the profound “basquization” of this society were in fact the result of the peculiar form Francoism assumed in this context. That is why transition to democracy was different from the rest of Spain. The Basque Transition was marked by a clear break from the past, a deep rejection of the previous regime but also an increasing aversion for the Spanish identity. Finally, the violent and tormented nature of this process is pointed out, and so are the casualties of ETA actions and the more than questionable law and order operations. These events were to complicate a political scenario where Basque voters had hardly accepted the constitu- tion and where the abertzale left strongly opposed the democratization process.