In the 21st century, in these transparent ones, several paradigms have fallen. Those born in the last century barely understand many social facts. The gap with the new generations is enormous, because a new world is being created. The only enduring fact is change, a constant change that occurs in fast swirls.

In Basque politics, the need to make conquests has also been palpable on more than one occasion. In 1992, in 1998... and the last, it occurred with the end of the armed struggle. Since then, the activity of the socio-political actors has changed, but unfortunately we do not seem to be able to articulate feasible alternatives.

However, despite recognizing that the fortunate outcome of the armed struggle has changed a great deal in depth, as the years go by, we will gradually realize that other structural changes are likely to have more influence.

Collective identities and individualism

Most of the axes of the collective identities that were articulated in the previous centuries have changed. among others, the two strongest: worker identity; national identity. Others that have been very deep have also been radically transformed. For example, the latest signs of the extended family model, the centrepiece of the cultures of Southern and Western Europe, and with it its antagonist, the myth of romantic love, have disappeared. There are a thousand ways to get ahead, everything is more complex.

Nowadays, in the most important decisions made by most people, the individualistic paradigm has prevailed. In order to manage these decisions we need, of course, the help of others, because human beings cannot give up their social character. Therefore, individualism in practice is ingestible and there is a need to create new collective identities.

In the crisis of those identities of the last century, people often find refuge in their hobbies, in the gym, in behavioral psychologists and in coaching. Faced with this new society, the oversized activists of the last century have given us a real party.

Many new collective, eclectic, temporary identities are being created many, but others are being created in the long term. In obsolete European societies, citizens have become consumers and the socio-political players of yesteryear have lost strength. The picture is dangerous, in this context the terrible rise of neo-fascism is not surprising.

Just as neoliberalism has tried to eliminate worker identity, these ideological currents are working on the elimination of national identities, since national identity has the capacity to create powerful agents, since the active citizen is able to create dialectics versus consumers.

Independence is interrupted

In the whirlwind of this storm that is taking place throughout Europe, the independence process in Hego Euskal Herria has stopped. I would say that in seeing the attempt by Catalonia, instead of the political forces here opening the second gap, they have joined the call for calm to be received by the Catalans.

Of course, the situation is not easy. The Catalan Republic has not been able to enter into force. The president is in exile; the emergency legislature built against ETA has been applied to Catalan independence.

However, I believe that the reason why the Basque independence has pushed the brakes goes beyond a reflection based on the correlation of forces. I start to think that disability is ideological. Impossibility can become a strategic option.

As I said a moment ago, like those of the last century we have difficulty in settling in the new world, those of us who have been in the previous historical phase have the inability to reactivate independentisms. People who will be retired between 15 and 20 years old cannot have a monopoly on the strategic decisions that the New Age needs.

We wanted to change the life and the system, but we don't realize we've swallowed all the hooks. We are in a situation of dependency: loans, care, pensions… we need security, so we cannot take responsibility for courageous proposals. “Time has fallen on us” and we are obstructing new solutions because we want to explore safe paths. We have become murderous dreams, because we have not had the ability to materialize our dreams.

For fear of the wolf, in search of refuge, we knock at the door of our father's house, after so many efforts to flee it, we do not realize that the changes are taking place around the fire that the daughters have ignited.

Passing the witness

We are an obstacle, because we have loaded backpacks, with holes in the stockings, with old boots that hurt the stones and, above all, because the long-bought glasses are useless to see new solutions and spikes.

Independence is urgent. The usual reasons for this need remain: national denial, language, culture, legal dependence… There are other needs: demilitarization, breakdown of patriarchy, permanent guarantee of social rights, management of diversity, democratization of the economy, so that the process of decline may have real sovereignty (national and personal)…

The Basque national feeling is a powerful force, but if it does not move from feeling to legal reality, in the short term it will only be an “urban lineage” of these territories the social sector that prioritizes Basque nationality. It is the turn of the generations that have the capacity to fully represent the Basque Country from 15 to 20 years.

Others are not going home, they are going to help us, from time to time some advice is going to be right, but the new sectors and generations that have the capacity to act effectively in the new world must take the helm.

The dance, like HALLA, will be present in the new akelarres surrounding the stake that their daughters have ignited. This year we have been taught and taught again. At my father's house we're going to oxidize

Patxi Azparren

Member of the Lizargorri group