April 17, 2005
THERE'S NO SUCH PLACE AS SPAIN:
Basque voters consider referendum (Katya Adler, 4/17/05, BBC News)
Spaniards in the Basque country are voting in a regional election that has turned into a virtual plebiscite on independence from Spain.The ruling moderate Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) is expected to win, and has promised to hold a referendum on the political future of the Basque country.
No other regional election attracts such widespread attention in Spain.
However, no other Spanish region has considered such a concrete proposal to break away from the nation.
Any people who thinks themself a nation is one. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 17, 2005 6:22 AM
What about the South in the CW?
Posted by: Ali Choudhury at April 17, 2005 10:55 AMThe small nationalist movements around Europe have generally been pro-EU because they see the existing national borders broken down and being allowed to sit in an EU Parliament as Basques, Bretons, Alsatians or whatever.
The Basques are perhaps the wealthiest region of Spain, having been industrialized the longest and having a maritime trade with England and the US. It is hard to explain to a Basque taxpayer why he should subsidize the half-Arab knuckle-walkers of Andalucia and Estremadura.
Posted by: bart at April 17, 2005 2:28 PM