argia.eus
INPRIMATU
Basque constituent process
Patxi Azparren @fraixku 2024ko azaroaren 11

As we know, the Institutional Independence of Hego Euskal Herria has begun a certain roadmap. Signing a new pact with the Spanish State. This path uses some main variables or premises. Thus: The PSOE is a leftist party, the Spanish State is recyclable and it is up to the independentists to help the far-right not reach governments, uncertainty flexibility of paradigm and strategic patience because time is in our favor.

Of course, I do not agree with these premises, but as in a previous article I commented on this, on this occasion I would like to take a further step.

It is clear that the independence base has taken a passive attitude. There are 11 reasons, and what has surely had the most influence has not been the new strategy that Institutional Independence has made. There are many other reasons, more structural, deeper, that have roots in recent history, that have their origin in the demographic state, that have anthropopolitical components, that derive from neoliberal globalization. The challenge before us, that is to say, the reactivation of independence, is not a minor one.

We need tangible objectives, small short-term victories, so that we citizens can offer our voluntary work. We often work as a team, although we feel the struggle as a small victory of our own.

The new way of life has robbed us of time. Now, popular militancy has demanding competitors; the strongest, the need for leisure. On the other hand, the entrepreneur who gives his time has to feel the owner of himself, feel protagonist and have the opportunity to contribute from the nearby environment. If decisions are made by professional politicians, local action, if it's nothing more than the adornment of a strategy that is not understood or seen, entrepreneurs sneak away.

It is clear that the independence base has taken a passive attitude. There are many reasons, and what has most probably influenced has not been the new strategy of Institutional Independence.

We need a new independence strategy based on the nearby local environment and the leading role of entrepreneurs, yet demobilized people will not return to active militancy. Good election results can conceal a total long-term defeat.

Constituent process of the Basque Republic

The Basque Country of the twenty-first century needs a constituent process that is the central axis of the construction of the country and that can imply a socio-political and cultural transformation.

Breaking with psychological domination towards states, independence Basques have to work on a liberating roadmap. To this end, I believe that we must begin to make our constitution, because a common constitution is the main organiser of national political subjects.

Initially, only the pillars of that Constitution, the main lines of a dynamic process of breakdown, could be defined. In this respect, we should establish the most important national and social rights. That is, the right to nationality, legally regulated according to international regulations; linguistic and cultural rights; basic social rights: work, housing, free public and universal health service, free public and universal education, democratic control of strategic sectors...

This process cannot frame the linear history in a time-bound development strategy. In fact, this is often, and more so today, the greatest methodological error that can be made. In a way, the beginning of the process would be the beginning of the construction of the Basque Republic, which we demand from unilateralism, which will compete with other processes. Fundamentally against the supremacist models of the French and Spanish States. People to people, preferably with the support of the nearby institutions, being responsible, energetic, dignified, generous.

I am not referring to a strategy that in the short term would bring us "hegemony", nor to the new autonomous agreements. It is clear what the correlation of forces is, independence has no social majority, while, in the same way, the set of opponents of independence is lower than ours. I am not referring to hegemony, but to the democratic clash between projects.

In an era of uncertainty (possibly all of them are like this), the most dangerous thing is that the boat's candles extend to the four winds. Although we do not know where the waves are going to break, at any time it is known that there will be a new storm, the rudder must be kept alive. Collect the candles, lower the oars and give them with desire; otherwise, the boat will turn and we will not be able to turn it around.

Patxi Azparren, member of the Basque Association