After the attack on the satirical Semanary Charlie Hebdo and subsequent events, a calm and rational reflection is essential. The attack was a very serious attack on human rights: it sought to break the right to life, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The first response to violations of these rights and the suffering caused is, of course, solidarity with these victims and condemnation of these violations.

But these facts have also called into question the European system of freedoms and rights, that is, the system of values. It is clear that at the basis of democracy are freedoms and when they question whether democracy itself is in danger.

Such attacks highlight institutional tendencies and temptations to reduce freedoms on the pretext of strengthening security. We are seeing this every day in Europe and the United States, especially when really curious and disturbing proposals and ideas are made – the registration of travellers, the abandonment of the watsapp, a special regime for the protection of national security…. All this at the summits of the Ministers of the Interior, because everything is a security problem, as if justice had nothing to say to guarantee our freedoms and rights. After all, it is once again – or is being – aligned with the objectives of terrorism when we want to change our society and our system of values. That is why we know something here and it is clear how these facts are used to transform the political system.

All this, however disturbing it may be, will not be the only consequence of the attack that has taken place. The far-right movements that are opening up in Europe seek to extend "Islamophobia", blending intolerant fanaticism with Islam, on the one hand, and the rejection of cultural diversity and the intensification of public policies towards immigrants, strategies that are precisely the absolutely contrary ones necessary.

Democratic societies and the rule of law must remember that our freedoms and rights are undeniable achievements of many struggles and revolutions, and that no step backwards in this system can be accepted. Conversely, at this very serious moment, the foundations of our society, which we are still achieving, must be strengthened and broadened: reason, democracy and the participation of all people, law and rights and freedoms.

The same, and nothing else, is being claimed for the Basque Country. It cannot be denied that there have also been major violations of human rights here. And, unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the response to these attacks has not always been correct and reasonable. Here too, the State has fallen into the temptations mentioned above and, instead of responding to cruel violence with democracy and law, it has sometimes been repressing human rights: this has happened when special legislation has been passed, when torture has been tortured, when the law has been maliciously interpreted, the rights of prisoners have been curtailed or justice has been pressured to achieve them.

In my opinion, ETA’s violence has only led to suffering. But if fanaticism has sought to destabilise society and the State, it has achieved something in this area: to expose the weaknesses and fears of the State and, to some extent, its delegitimization in responding to violence.