The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has distanced himself from EH Bildu and the controversial words of their candidate for Lehendakari, Pello Otxandiano, who avoided labeling ETA as a terrorist organization. Sánchez stated that “ETA was not an armed group, it was a terrorist group defeated by Spanish democracy.” Despite this, Sánchez does not rule out continuing to negotiate with EH Bildu in Congress on measures proposed by his government. He emphasized that his government is a coalition formed by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party and Unidas Podemos, and they engage with all parliamentary groups except Vox.
Otxandiano stirred up the Basque election campaign on Monday night when he failed to label ETA as a terrorist organization during an interview on the SER radio station. This statement was criticized by other parties, prompting Otxandiano to apologize on Thursday. However, Sánchez stressed that the apology is not enough, recalling that it was under a Socialist government in 2011 that ETA decided to lay down its arms thanks to the unity of all political forces in Basque and Spanish society.
Sánchez also took the opportunity to criticize former Prime Minister José María Aznar, who referred to ETA and its allies as a “national liberation movement” during the ceasefire in the late 1990s. Sánchez reiterated that ETA was a terrorist group defeated by Spanish democracy with the unity of all democrats. The President emphasized the role of former President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who led the anti-terrorism pact in 2005, with Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba as Interior Minister and Patxi López as Lehendakari in the Basque Country.
The controversy surrounding Otxandiano’s comments has raised concerns during the relatively calm Basque election campaign. Sánchez reiterated that ETA no longer exists, having been defeated by democracy more than ten years ago. He emphasized the importance of unity among all democratic forces in society in achieving this victory. Sánchez highlighted the efforts of Zapatero, Rubalcaba, and López in leading this unity and contrasted it with Aznar’s past statements on ETA.
Despite the controversy, Sánchez maintained that his government engages in negotiations with EH Bildu and other parliamentary groups to approve measures that benefit the majority of the country. He stressed the importance of calling things by their proper names, insisting that ETA was a terrorist group defeated by democracy. Sánchez’s stance reflects his commitment to upholding democratic values and unity in the face of past terrorism in Spain.
