Has the decline of patriotism begun? At least, this suspicion is aroused by the number 14 of the Youth Photos collection, launched by the Basque Government (February 2011). In fact, when those interviewed through the survey have been asked to define their ideology, there is a decrease of ten points from those who are 30 years old or older to the 15-29 age group: 28% to 18%. If you look at the age of 15 to 21, this figure is 14%. Because of what? Is it blurring the ideology of the Basque Country?

It is true that the design of this question can be controversial, but the data is there and we are aware that when changes are initiated they usually begin to materialize slowly and in young people.

It is well known that there are many reasons why citizens are fed up with politicians, including patriots, and so the evolution of the Apolitical sentiment in this study with age decline is not surprising: It increases from 19% in adults to 30% in young people. Not only that, but there’s also a deeper change in the data. In fact, like the attachment to patriotism, the feeling of Socialist with age also decreases (from 17% to 11%).

Is it the decline of the ideologies that arose and spread in previous centuries? It is possible, because other more recent ideological self-definitions increase in young people: Liberals, 14% to 21%; Ecologists, 14% to 19%; Feminists, 5% to 9%. Who knows what young people mean by liberalism. But it may be a sense of praising the freedom of the person and limiting the interventionism of governments, because after all these slogans are aligned with post-modernity. Whether or not this understanding of liberalism is present, the other two ideologies mentioned are also expanding and gaining prominence: ecology and feminism.

Is it merely a coincidence that the dominant ideologies of the recent past are descending and the newly created ones, on the contrary, ascending? Or, on the contrary, are they indicators of the various profound changes that are taking place in Basque society?

If the hypothesis of change were correct, this evolution of ideologies would be to the detriment of... In fact, as a country without sovereignty and specific legal-administrative structures, Basque lands and citizens are lacking ties. What unites a broad group of citizens of this territory, if not a patriotic ideology? The economy does not, if we believe that “capital has no country,” let alone in the times of globalization. The Basque culture? I have doubts about the cultural diversity that characterizes the Basque Country; even more so when the fusion style is fashionable. Theoretically, Basque should be the strongest link in the Basque people, but today it is not, because it does not contain the largest proportion of the population.

Patriotism is a historical invention and therefore the new ages will have to leave it behind. The fact that this happens now would not be so worrying if some other bond were created that better adapts to the new seasons.

Therefore, if the hypothesis of the decline of patriotism were correct and the current winds of history were contrary to nationality and patriotism, new community formulations would have to be invented. The Basque People’s Project should be understood and consolidated in a different way, with the Basque language as the language, without a doubt, but also with the help of other links. Although social ties are increasingly weak in this post-modern era, the sense of community that the Basques have not yet lost and their “symbolic referentialities” should be strengthened; or perhaps new ones should be created. Just in case, we'd better be on our guard!