Peace time for the elderly
Without silencing the echoes of the G7 World Summit, for the umpteenth time, 29 August was stuck on the A-8 Oiartzun road toll. Curiosity: As long as the summit lasted – on 23, 24 and 25 August – no withholding tax was recorded in the Hegoalde and Iparralde tolls for the return operation of the most massive annual holidays. A week before, and a week later, the withholdings have reached fifteen kilometers in length. Curious and paradoxical.
“How can you hold a summit at the weekend when there is more tourism in Euskal Herria and the days when vehicles completely block road traffic?” asked a lot of people. Not only paradoxical, but absurd.
Here are some of the data: “Over 5,500 trucks have stood on the border between Lapurdi and Gipuzkoa during the meeting. The summit caused losses of EUR 4 million in the transport sector.” The technical secretary of the Euskal Herria transport union, Víctor Premio, was “surprised”: “We do not understand the chaos generated by the summit, why the leaders have not said anything”. It was about the attitude of the rulers of the South. Some Iparralde leaders have strongly criticised the dismantling of the summit, which is taking place in Iparralde. The police have criticised the treatment of citizens who oppose the summit and have called for compensation for traders who have suffered economic losses. President of the Basque College, Jean-René Etchegaray, among others.
On the contrary, the lehendakari of the Basque Country, Iñigo Urkullu, did not say anything about the damage caused or about the summit. Mr Josu Bujanda, Head of the Ertzaintza: “We understand the anger of transporters, but the Basque Government has only managed the orders of the French Government.” In their view, drivers arriving from Africa have graduated their arrival and citizens have followed the recommendations of the Ertzaintza so that the border with Biriatou is not used. “We will take into account the infrastructure they have prepared for the G7 summit, to see if the exit and return could be used in other traffic operations,” added Bujanda.
The French State’s strategy has been demanding: the police have spread panic first and then spread an image of calm. The arrogance of the seven states has been evident. The media employed have been huge, not only have they deployed the police forces, but they have wanted to give a “display”. It succeeded: The city of Biarritz has been besieged, villages and roads on the coast have been evicted and peace has been demonstrated.
In the violent and conflictive recent past, the Ertzainas were called with the name of Zipaio with disdé n.Zipaio is “the one who fulfills the orders of foreigners”. Also in times of peace?
Macron was pleased with Biarritz, also Oteiza, Kino’s businessman, who gave Trump the ham. But the G7 summit caused disappointment in the waves of revolutionaries. Some had gone to skate, because of undeclared demonstrations to set cities on fire, dressed in yellow or defying... [+]
What remains after the G7? A good communication operation for Macron, but with very poor diplomatic results in terms of results. However, for Euskal Herria it has been a significant fact: the response of the sociopolitical agents at the same time and, on the one hand, the action... [+]
