25 years ago, II was celebrated. Walker Connor participated in the World Congress and Basque Nationalism section, one of the world’s leading researchers of nationalism. In his speech he said: “The doctrine of self-determination, if you will, says that any nation has the right to separate. But according to electoral data and opinion polls from many states, a typical member of a national minority living within a democratic state wants ethnocracy, but not independence.” That is, he wants to be sent “his”, he considers the mandate of “our” legitimate. The same thing is desired in our society and we wear the will of ethnocracy with the clothes of the right to decide or of sovereignty.

It is true that in our potential society, the community plus Navarre, nationalism has its basis, and in the Community under any circumstances the option of independence is approximately 35%. In Navarre, the percentage is, as is normal, lower than the State average. The entity we address for the data is indifferent: Euskobarometer or Sociometer. To do so somewhere, only the option of independence would win in Guipuzkoan territory.

What's in our society? What socio-demographic composition and what type of political choices are made? Here are some of the trends and data referred to by Connor, which in the Basque Country we also find with great intensity: (1) It is true that there is little affection towards the Spanish States; (2) However, many Basque consciences also have affective links with the State, some superficial, others deeper; (3) Although the Abertzale movement is strong, many Abertzales are not in favour of separation; (4) Apart from punctual avatars, the percentage of people in favour of independence is maintained; (5)

These attitudes are deeply rooted in Basque society and are very evident with regard to the social basis of independence. The time has come to mark the lines within nationalism, to show that they are not equal in the struggle for internal hegemony, and to show that they are not. From this point of view, Bildu/Sortu and the PNV would be in extreme positions and the former would be more independentist and the latter not so much. The truth is that I do not believe that this can be the current distributive criterion, and it should not be. It would be better, both to analyze the constants of our society and to start building political objects accordingly. These constants tell us that 45% feel more Basque, 15% more Spanish and 40% have a double identity. We are also told that 45% are considered nationalist and 55% are not Abertzale.

Nationalists and Spanish amateurs have been trying to colonise for 35 years, and have not weakened the position of the other. Perhaps it is time to make a tactical stop (fundamentally strategic). What do you really want: independence or ethnocracy? For me, an inclusive society based on the well-being and guarantee of ethnocracy as our differential sovereignty perhaps in the medium term the doors of independence are opened. In addition, dreams can become nightmares when the objectives that are intensely desired cannot be attained and we do not need frustraciones.Creo that we have not yet understood what the construction of the nation entails, because political constructions cannot oppose the constants of society that are taken as a reference. They can be done, but aside from suffering they do not provide anything good. If the nation has to be built, it is about to do, and if it does so in the future, not in the past. Looking back, it is not possible to restore lost independence!

(*) Xabier Aierdi is a professor of the UPV.