This year we have witnessed a conflict as noisy as the Txarangas in the carnivals of Tolosa. The City of Tolosa commissioned the Txosnas Commission to remove the Carnival txosna from its annual location. The groups that make up the txosnas commission (Ernai and GKS, among others) started mobilizations to deal with the municipal decision. Subsequently, a change of attitude by Ernaik caused tensions between the groups in the committee. This gave rise to controversy between the youth of the Abertzale left (Ernai) and the groups of the socialist movement (GKS, Itaia, Ikasle Abertzaleak...). But what has happened in Tolosa reflects what is happening between the youth movements.
This conflict originated in 2016. Breaking with the unit that formed with Ernai, Ikasle Abertzaleak (IA) Sortu and adopts a new direction with EH Bildu. Thus began the rivalry between the youth of the Abertzale left (Ernai) and the Socialist Movement (Ikasle Abertzaleak, GKS…). Ernai focuses on nationalism and the political project of an independent Basque country. However, the SGS aims to build the Basque (communist) Socialist State by winning capitalism. Briefly: GKS accuses Ernai of what was written by Simone Weil, “when there is much talk of homeland little talk of justice”.
The explosion of SGS has generated concern in various sectors of society. In the U28, for example, the SGS clearly demonstrated the success in militancy, until it became threatening to Ernai. Furthermore, there is nothing more to do with the publications of the main media to realize that the appearance of GKS, in general, has not been anything nice. But if the story of radical and conflictive adolescents has prevailed, I think it can be a point of view imposed from the world of the erdaldun sector and traditional journalism. Young people also do not contribute to improving the intelligibility of these phenomena, because with zero categories such as our “scratch” or “struggle” we only blur the analysis. That is why I think it is so necessary for young people to look carefully at this young movement.
First of all, I would like to say that the disputes between GKS and Ernai have been suggestive, they have given much to talk about. Basque society has had to wonder what these groups have in their hands. This has to do with one of the goals of the SGS organization in recent times; to organize an education that responds to the political passion of society. The recent public universities clearly showed one of their intentions: politicising youth and revitalizing political consciousness. For a long-standing political society, organising such an offer seems to me to be both enriching and encouraging.
Secondly, I have some questions to ask myself about the reasons that have led to the emergence of the SGS: will not the logical and hopeful response of the young senior militants of GKS institutional policy be? Have they not demonstrated other forms of organisation outside nice institutions? When the elections are ever closer, they show different political paths to vote through an essential element: organisation. What they have achieved so far would not be possible if it were not for this explosive and powerful element, the organization that is so lacking in our individualistic and atomized societies.
In the hope that GKS will have to overcome more obstacles than has been the case so far, I should like to make a number of indicative suggestions. The politicisation of youth must be directed at young people who are no longer politicised; we need a movement for those who do not have political ideas. Warrior aesthetics and aggressive language only arouse people's interest. Furthermore, the mere fact of hearing the word communism in the twenty-first century leads us to take some a step backwards of security. Are we not young people able to overcome 19th century communism and generate innovative proposals?
This confrontation has raised some of the consciences of our society. This has been the most beneficial, to shake the oxidized intelligences. Basque society will decide the direction of Euskal Herria. In any case, we would like it to be a serious choice. But to do so we must think and debate beyond the txosnas and, above all, beyond them.