The French State is very strong, entrenched, centralized, Jacobin. In one way, it's the perfect state. It has a monolithic, absolutist view of the nation, necessarily a poxi balanced by the freedom of the individual.
She only knows two realities: she and the citizen. It welcomes each person individually and integrates it in all ways.
It is a protective state, especially social security and social laws, until recently also its Colbertism. Despite liberal cuts, L’Etat-Providence still lives to a large extent, and that’s where people have a big advantage, especially in softening economic crises.
The state and the economy have been made, by hand and by hand, almost generous or all-powerful. We no longer have a free space that cannot be found in this French nationalist capitalism. Farmers are also closely linked to the system, especially through premiums. Public institutions, and in particular the state, manage more than half of our money.
We have little personal autonomy, no national autonomy. France is the territory of a single language, and that is a highly prestigious language. Until recently there have been elites from all over the world, cultured people, launching it to universelle. The Basque language is a domestic, private, family used language. But also French monolingual television shines at home.
In addition, and perhaps above all else, France is an impressive seducer, owner of so many good and beautiful things, and takes them so well in its popaganga: the best climates in the world, wonderful corners, spectacular castles, artists in all sections, a rich cuisine with so many different wines and cheeses, an amazing literature, the two voices of human rights —of 1789 and 1948—, advanced social protection… France cannot be so.
He knows it well, and to better fix its advantages, he takes the look of a holy holy one. In the 19th century, the famous historian Jules Michelet gave him the loving face of the young hero Jeanne d’Arc by admiration of both: Le sauveur de la France devait être une femme. La France était femme elle-même”. Another famous writer will perform this mythic and mystical figure: De Gaull will call La Madone and Notre-Dame la France. Meanwhile, the Republic has adorned this image of the Virgin in the appearance of the Marianne: her head is doomed by the rings of the posta and with her dress she is in the hall of acts of the City Hall. In the colonies will be called France the Mère-Patrie, and in our many citizens we will be taken by blasfemie the fundamental song of these divine galvans, the revelation of 1960, sung soon by Mixel (and not Mitxel) Labéguerie: “Euskadi is our only homeland!”
Overcoming that original sin will take a long time to come. But the cry of the Abertzales has opened a new page in Iparralde's history. The main Euskaltzales from now on were Abertzales in relation to Hegoalde, but in this case they were shy, as if the admiration of Madona had ice cream them, including Xaho.
Time is over. If France cannot be ruthless, the Baskonia of Aquitaine must turn its back on the French state in order to survive. Spain, on the other hand, presents itself to us as a bull, and I believe that the answers of the Basques on both sides of the border come largely from these different sides of the two states: A red veil on the back or an escape, flowers to the Lady or an inevitable despair.