"Separatist groups, like the Basques, have had little success in their attempts to gain autonomy from the country of which they are presently part and have alienated people from their own culture and from the country as a whole

It feels the need for autonomy and self determination due to the specialism of its language and nationality which is different to that of Spain and France. With the area being inaccessible it needs to set up its own ports and economy which is strong with Bilbao the capital of the Basque region being the chief industrial place in Spain. Also Victoria is the city of exception urban design.

In the beginning of the last century the Basque people were attracted to the republicans which advertised autonomy for votes and support and were given regional autonomy by the republican government in 1936. But a year later in 1937 the Basque people were overthrown by Franco’s dictatorship, whereby he carried out reprisals including the outlawing of the Basque language, and he also ran the area as a police state executing intelligentsia and political leaders all the way through his reign until 1975. It led to the formation of ETA – Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque country and freedom) in 1959 and by the late 1960’s ETA had declared war on the Spanish state via killings, bombings and kidnappings. They fight for the independence of the Basque region and it is estimated 800 deaths have been a result of ETA’s battle against the state. In 1973 the Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco who would be Franco’s designated successor was killed by a car bomb in Madrid. Also by the late 1960’s the literary Basque language was being used again by the 20% of the population which could speak it. Now the Basque region had the greatest autonomy of the whole of Spain as it could collect taxes, had its own education system, health practices, police, and industry. This was because of the efficient Basque government in Gasteiz. More and more people choose bilingualism for their children and the percentage of Basque speakers increased.  Later that century 70% of people vote nationalist and more and more autonomy is given to the Basque region via its own daily Basque language newspaper and TV and radio in their language. Aswell as Spanish and Basque names for places on road signs, leading to the integration of the Basques in their own region and in Spain, so that they don’t feel as isolated.

        The Basque separatism has had impacts upon Spain such as the transition to democracy after Franco’s death was an attempt by the political class to synchronise Francoist institutions with the requirements of a modern society. A profound dislocation occurred during the 1970s between the social and the political spheres, highlighting the political system’s incapacity for resolving the problems of Spanish society. Spain was now no longer a wholly rural country. There were zones of heavy industry in Catalonia and the Basque Country, and a demographic explosion occurred in the Sixties which, together with great internal migrations, led to the growth of urbanisation. With the Basque country being heavily industrialised and the leading sea port of Spain, it led to problems as Spain was no-longer that rich in comparison so needs the Basque region to keep the country rich, without this it would be poor so therefore not allowing autonomy to that area. Although in 1979 the Basque region gained some autonomy via the statue of the Spanish constitution. While there have been constant claims for autonomy in the Basque territory controlled by France, the French government has never conceded any degree of political control. This article, therefore, deals exclusively with the peninsular, or Spanish, area. The Spanish Basque territory is itself politically divided into two autonomous communities: the Statutory Community of Navarre and the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. ETA also had an impact upon the area, mainly the Basque region for which it wanted independence, it lead to extreme violence and still is a problem nowadays although there was a ceasefire in November 1999. ETA although a terrorist group has been listened to and has had some if not all of its aims met and autonomy even though not complete self government has occurred, it still has some freedoms.

        In my opinion I think that the Basque region could have a good and successful autonomy if the Spanish government let them try. The economy is strong and the social and cultural reasons for separatism are valid points.