Spanish Politics and Society

1. Spanish Politics and Society Hispanic & European Studies Program Fall 2009 Raimundo Viejo Viñas Office 20.182 www.raimundoviejo.info raimundo.viejo@upf.edu

2. Contentious politics in Spain The Basque nationalism as a social movement

3. Two different types of nationalism • In relation to the State, there are two different types of nationalism: • Nationalism of the Nation-State (i.e. Spanish, French or German nationalism) • Stateless Nation’s Nationalism, SNN (i.e. Scottish, Corsican, Catalan or Basque nationalism) • In relation to politics, those nationalisms are also very different: • Nation-State nationalism operates within State-politics • SNN operates within movement politics • The Basque case: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQjHD6H66y0

4. Nationalism as a Social Movement • SNN can be analysed as a social movement because… • …they are sustained by networks of informal interaction • …their members share beliefs, identity and solidarity • …they organize contentious collective action • …they have political autonomy (they are autonomous from State politics)

5. Networks of informal interaction • SNN are not a political party, nor a interest group, nor a protest event. • As social movements SNN involve a multi-organizational field (which can be made of several political parties, interest groups, associations, etc.) • SNN are not a single protest event, but a series of protest events, sustained over time. They connect single protest events giving them continuity and meaning as a social movement

6. Beliefs, identity, solidarity • Nationalist networks share common beliefs (i.e. the belief they are members of a unique nation) • Nationalist networks have a collective identity (i.e. national identity) • Members of nationalist networks are mutually supportive (given two persons in the same situation, they prefer to help people belonging to their nation)

7. Nationalist collective action • Nationalist activist networks organize contentious collective actions against the State to mobilize people • Contentious collective action can range from peaceful demonstrations to armed struggle (i.e. bombing, assassination, etc.)

8. Political autonomy • Since nationalisms want to fight against the State they need to be autonomous from the State • Being autonomous means to be able of producing their own rules independently from State power (i.e. power emanates from the people, not from the State)

9. The Basque case • The Basque nationalist movement (BNM) is a Stateless nation nationalism. • The BNM is sustained by activist networks that are organised into a complex multiorganizational field. • The BNM multiorganizational field is integrated by: • Political parties: PNV (christian-democrat), EA (social-democrat), Aralar (peaceful pro-independence), and Batasuna (ETA’s political branch) • Interest groups: Confebask (employers association), LAB, ELA (worker’s unions), etc. • Civil society associations: women’s, student’s, prisoners, civil rights, and many other kinds of political associations • Batzokis, herriko tabernas, etc.

10. Basque national identity • Basque identity is the complex result of two differents processes: the State-building and the Nation-building processes • Dr Jan Mansvelt Beck, University of Amsterdam explains us the Basque identity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehqr4hIHzCQ • Basque nationalism combines different elements in the production of a national identity: • language • territories • traditions • history • culture • others

11. The Basque conflict: past and present • Past: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCmVuIccESM • Present • Spanish State point of view • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwti7eLE6xQ • Basque nationalist point of view • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDx8V9CAWZ4