Ignorance pervades Europe, not less the Basque Country, when it comes to stateless nations across the continent. As our readers know, NAZIOGINTZA takes a special focus on this topic, given the fact that Basques, even nationalists, are not familiar at all with nations like ours, such as Wales, Corsica, Flanders, Catalonia, Galicia, Scotland, Faeroe Islands, or South Tirol. We do believe in a peoples’ Europe, we think it is vital to develop relations with those fellow nations, since we share the same goals of preserving our identity and achieving sovereignty.
This is the reason the issue of Catalonia raises so much interest among us, and it hurts us to see the narrow-minded approach adopted by the European Union on this matter, taking sides with the stance of the Spanish government and denying the self-determination of Catalonia. It is shameful.
Mister Juncker, chairman of the European Commission, showed the most belligerent position. After voicing his opposition to all kinds of nationalism, clearly referring not of course to state nationalism but stateless peoples, he made it clear the main concern of the states. “If we allow (…) that Catalonia becomes independent, others will do the same and I wouldn’t like that”, he went, and added “I wouldn’t like a European Union (…) consisting of some 90 states”.
90 states? Are there actually so many stateless nations in Europe? It astonishes the ignorance shown off by Mr Juncker by assimilating regions and nations. Catalonia and Extremadura, Basque Country and Tuscany, Scotland and Rhenania, or Flanders and Normandy. A high-ranking official like him should have a grasp of what a nation is, and be familiar with the fact that other European identities, as well as linguistic and cultural realities exist besides its states, beyond mere folklore…
There are not 90, Mister Juncker. Those of us who are acquainted with the peoples’ Europe know well that there are at best other 10-15 territories with strong identity and resolute intent on sovereignty. These nations too constitute Europe, we share a collective identity and national rights that a number of states fail to respect: linguistic, cultural and political rights, including self-determination. The Europe we dream of shelters these rights, and does not deny them. And from the Basque Country we will keep the pursuit towards a more democratic and fairer Europe, along with these other fellow nations.
