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Pro-independence parties likely to win Basque country elections in Spain Pro-independence parties win Basque country elections in Spain
(about 7 hours later)
Separatist tensions within the European Union looked set to grow with pro-independence parties expected to win regional elections held on Sunday in Spain's northern Basque country. Separatist tensions within the European Union looked set to grow with a surge of support for pro-independence parties at regional elections held on Sunday in Spain's northern Basque country.
Polls show a surge of support for a separatist coalition, EH Bildu, formed after a decision last year by the armed separatist group Eta to end a 40-year campaign of terrorism. A separatist coalition, EH Bildu, became the region's second biggest political group, taking a quarter of the vote as it reaped a peace dividend following armed separatist group Eta's decision to end four decades of terrorism last year.
The coalition brings together peaceful separatists with former members of Eta's political wing who are no longer banned from parliamentary politics. Polls predict it could win a quarter of the vote and become the region's second largest political party. The coalition brings together peaceful separatists with former members of Eta's political wing who are no longer banned from parliamentary politics. It won 21 of the 75 seats in the regional parliament.
The moderate Basque Nationalist party (PNV), which backs a gradual march towards independence, is expected to lose some seats in the regional assembly to EH Bildu but looks set to take most votes. The moderate Basque Nationalist party (PNV), which backs a gradual march towards an as yet undefined form of independence, lost votes to EH Bildu but was the overall winner with a third of the votes and 27 seats.
PNV looks set to form a minority government, possibly supported by EH Bildu, though its leader, Iñigo Urkullu, has refused to say exactly how he plans to govern. PNV looked set to form a minority government, possibly supported by EH Bildu, though party leader Iñigo Urkullu has refused to say exactly how he plans to govern. The two parties jointly won almost two-thirds of the seats, bringing an end to three years of socialist government under outgoing Basque prime minister Patxi López.
The two pro-independence parties were jointly expected to take about 60% of the vote, allowing them to eject the current socialist regional government. Although Urkullu has pledged to make the economy his first priority, he was widely expected to follow the example of Catalan regional president Artur Mas and call some kind of referendum on independence over the coming four years.
Although he has pledged to make the economy his priority, Urkullu is widely expected to follow the example of the Catalan regional president, Artur Mas, and call some kind of referendum on independence over the coming four years. But it remained unclear whether his party would ask for full independence, a new statute of autonomy giving it greater self-government or simply demand that Spain explicitly allow it a right to self-determination in the future.
During the campaign Urkullu has both described his party as being "in favour of 21st century-style independence" and wanting a new "bilateral" relationship with Spain. Analysts say that reflects a party split between separatists and those seeking greater autonomy within Spain.
"The Spanish state has become a brake on the development of the Basque country," the PNV states in its manifesto."The Spanish state has become a brake on the development of the Basque country," the PNV states in its manifesto.
The Basque election result will add to the problems of the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, whose conservative People's party (PP) government has already vowed to block any independence referendums called by regional governments. Urkullu said that the absence of Eta meant these were the first properly free elections for decades. "This country cannot be built through confrontation or exclusion," he said.
Rajoy's party was expected to hold on to the regional government of north-western Galicia, where elections were also being held on Sunday. He gave few clues, however, about his plans beyond saying that the Basque country must remain part of the EU.
The wealthy and populous north-eastern Spanish region of Catalonia goes to the polls next month as support for independence there rises above 50% in opinion polls. The Basque election result will add to the problems of Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy, whose conservative People's party (PP) government has already vowed to block any independence referendums called by regional governments.
Mas, whose nationalist Convergence and Union (CiU) coalition looks set to increase its seats in the regional parliament, has pledged to call a referendum despite Rajoy's threat to declare the poll illegal. The wealthy and populous north-eastern Spanish region of Catalonia goes to the polls next month as support for independence there rises above 50% in opinion polls. Regional Catalan prime minister Artur Mas, whose nationalist Convergence and Union (CiU) coalition looks set to increase its seats in the regional parliament, has pledged to call a referendum despite Rajoy's threat to declare it illegal.
Catalan and Basque separatists are watching events in Scotland, hoping that a yes vote at an independence referendum there in 2014 would force the EU to come up with a formula allowing for member states to split up.Catalan and Basque separatists are watching events in Scotland, hoping that a yes vote at an independence referendum there in 2014 would force the EU to come up with a formula allowing for member states to split up.
Leaders from EH Bildu and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) separatist party were in Scotland last week at the Scottish Nationalist party conference. In separate elections held in Galicia in the north-west of Spain, Rajoy's People's party hung on to the regional government, despite the recession and 25% unemployment throughout the country.
The ERC secretary general, Marta Rovira, and Pello Urizar of the Eusko Alkartasuna party, which forms part of EH Bildu, were guests at a fringe meeting organised by the European Free Alliance, which brings together separatist groups from within the EU.
Both the Scottish National party and the Welsh nationalists, Plaid Cymru, are promoting the Catalan and Basque separatist movements within the UK, hoping to capitalise on their recent electoral successes and mass demonstrations.
A recent Catalan independence march attracted more than 600,000 people, dwarfing the last pro-Scottish independence march in Edinburgh, which drew 7,000.
Addressing a capacity audience, Ian Hudghton, one of Scotland's two SNP MEPs and party president, said all four parties shared a common agenda, to promote independence movements across the EU. "I can't wait until we have a normal, independent country," he said.
"This is not a race and it's not a competition; we are all working together in solidarity with one another," said the Plaid Cymru leader, Jill Evans. "It is a process of normalisation: each of our nations, in its own distinctive way, seeking normality in the wider European family of nations."