If we go down a night street, if that street has lights, as we move forward, the lamps will create a shadow. These shadows move as we move, as if they were alive. Some come from behind, others from ahead: two, three, four at a time. When we walk away from a light, our shadow increases; soon, the new lamp will give it a new shape. At the end of the street, the last lamp, along with the light, will give the last shade.

But every street has a beginning and an end. Coming to the street corner, the new step takes us to an unknown place and is often a temptation to sit still under the last ray of light. Without realizing that the long shadow that this light produces hides the hole in front of us.

That image came to my mind when I heard the proposal that EH Bildu made public at the Aberri Eguna. Because I felt like we were in Euskal Herria about 20 years ago. In the oldest Aberri Eguna, the edges of Loiola’s long shadow expanded across the ground.

As is well known, after the failure of the Lizarra-Garazi agreement, the Left Abertzale rejected the agreement between sovereigns and made a pact with the other “two central political traditions” (PNV, PSOE). As a result, the Loiola Process was extended, among others.

The other sectors of left-wing nationalism did not accept strategic change as well, and of course the other sectors that were relying on the Ibarretxe project. Both were left off the stage, according to the official Abertzale Left, because the seat of the third political tradition was exclusive to them.

At that time, however, all the socio-political, sovereign agents acted with great responsibility and no one put any fights, not even Ibarretxe himself. This process was launched and the Anoeta landmark arrived. The milestone was absolutely necessary, as previously ETA accepted that it would be left out of a possible negotiation with political complements.

If Anoeta’s declaration had taken place in the time of Lizarra-Garazi, we would now find ourselves in another situation, but those lights and shadows were also in the past, in another remote street canton.

A political negotiation was conducted by the three main political groups of the three western countries of Hego Euskal Herria in search of a solution for the entire Basque Country and in the confidence that they would finally end the violent manifestations of the conflict. Nor did it materialize.

Just as the last light on Lizarra-Garazi Street remained on that corner, Loiola's also stayed, but unfortunately, leaving the shadow nailed in our back.

At present, Basque sovereignty, and especially the independence Left, should be moving in other ways.

New neighborhoods and villages have been created and on the sidewalks of these neighborhoods there are many people, each with their flashlight in their hand, willing to offer their roof.

Now, in order to travel through the new streets, slopes and plazas, there is no need to establish an agreement with the agents who have built and protected this system. On the contrary, in the dystopian context XXI.mendeko, the greater separation of them gives us a benefit and an appeal.

The desire to achieve hegemony is often counterproductive. In order to achieve the hegemony of a sociopolitical space, the team that has made this election tries to absorb the closest actors. In this way its whole socio-political area is weakened and potential allies of the future destroyed. The PSOE is well aware of this. Because the PSOE is the most effective of all those promoting the 78 regime. Their job is to dismantle all the distortions that occur on the left.

The PSOE has been the most able to neutralise the democratic breakdown of Catalonia. Initially with the help of En Comú Podem, then ERC smiling under the table. This game has neutralized two areas: inter-class independence and anti-capitalist independence. The maintenance of the Loiola scheme will have the same consequences for the Basque Country.

In this liquid society there are other hegemonic games that can combine social transformation and internationalization. In the face of the systemic crisis we are experiencing, we must begin to walk the new streets. Recreate the Basque anthropopolitical subject from all over the Basque Country and check that we have a feasible alternative model. Accelerating the demolition process of the dying model and accelerating our construction process.

Patxi Azparren

Bachelor of Social and Cultural Anthropology