While comparisons are frequently made between Scotland and Catalonia, the independence movements in Scotland and the Basque Country are often viewed as significantly different cases. David Pimenta argues that despite their very different beginnings, Scottish and Basque independence supporters now share strikingly similar worldviews.
Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation as First Minister of Scotland has left the Scottish National Party (SNP) at a crossroads. Academics and pundits are now trying to foresee the party’s future and the prospects for Scottish independence.
In this predictive exercise, there is often a search for western European reference points and the most typical comparison made is that between the Scottish and Catalan cases. In contrast, comparisons between Scotland and the Basque Country are far less common.
Atsuko Ichijo highlighted a decade ago that there is a general lack of research on the relationship between the Scottish and Basque independence movements, allegedly because of the few similarities that exist between the two. However, both cases bear a strong resemblance with respect to nationalism.
An analysis of the history of Scottish and Basque pro-independence political parties shows that nationalism has developed beyond the left-wing and right-wing of the political spectrum in both cases, ultimately evolving into a form of ‘civic’ nationalism.
Scottish and Basque nationalism
At first glance, the Scottish and Basque cases appear strikingly different. Although various factions and splinter parties have emerged from within the SNP since it was founded in 1934, the party remains the dominant representation of Scottish nationalism. It successfully navigated a period of internal division during the 1980s and has developed into a centrist catch-all party that appeals to both the left and right of the ideological spectrum.
In contrast, the Basque nationalist picture is substantially more complex. As Rafael Leonisio notes, there are at least three different terms used when describing nationalism in the Basque Country: radical Basque nationalism, which is a broad term that includes all pro-independence nationalist actors; the Abertzale left, which refers to actors that support independence and socialist principles, but do not necessarily support the same methods for achieving this (e.g. using violence); and the Basque National Liberation Movement based around the armed separatist group ETA.
The origins of modern Basque nationalism can be traced to the founding of Sabino Arana’s Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) at the end of the 19th century. During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, the PNV-led Basque government was exiled abroad and opposed Francoism with limited success. At the end of the 1950s, within this context of an absent PNV, an oppressive regime, and social, economic and cultural change, ETA emerged to become the most visible face of revolutionary nationalism in the Basque Country.
Following the creation of ETA, an array of Abertzale left parties were established with the aim of moving beyond armed struggle and securing political representation. When Spain transitioned to democracy in the 1970s, the two largest political representations of Basque nationalism were the PNV and the Basque Left coalition, comprising a range of parties linked to ETA.
In 1978, an important coalition of parties linked to ETA was formed under the name of Herri Batasuna. The following decades saw numerous successor parties with links to ETA being created, disbanded, and occasionally outlawed by the courts, as well as a gradual movement away from the violence of ETA.
Today, Basque nationalism is represented most prominently by the PNV, which positions itself as a centrist catch-all party that swings between regionalism and civic nationalism, and the left-wing EH Bildu party, which is the second largest political force behind the PNV and represents the Abertzale left tradition within Basque politics. Both parties now have distinct civic-nationalist traits that have parallels with the SNP.
Nationalism beyond the left and right
While nationalism is viewed in some European countries as a distinctly right-wing phenomenon, a clear feature of Scottish and Basque nationalism is that it appeals to both sides of the political spectrum. Both the SNP and the PNV occupy a centrist position, acting as catch-all parties while politicising a nationalist agenda.
A key element in this has been their articulation of civic nationalism, which has become increasingly prominent in recent decades. The financial crisis and subsequent recession that began in 2007 led to both parties focusing on social and economic issues rather than matters of ethnic identity. At the same time, the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, the UK’s vote for Brexit in 2016, and the conflict and peace process in the Basque Country have ensured that nationalism continues to be a central topic in both cases.
From very different beginnings, the Scottish and Basque nationalist movements have embraced a form of civic nationalism that now has clear parallels. Regardless of who succeeds Nicola Sturgeon, this is a trend that is expected to continue.
Note: This article gives the views of the authors, not the position of EUROPP – European Politics and Policy or the London School of Economics. Featured image credit: Scottish Government (CC BY 2.0)
