Basques look ahead to elections for first time since ETA ceasefire

Basques welcomed on Thursday their first regional elections since the armed Basque group ETA announced an end to its armed struggle last year.

In recent years there have been signs that peace was gradually coming to Basque country. Politicians tied to ETA and banned from running for office, grew weary of the conflict and began to believe they could fight for Basque autonomy through politics rather than violence.

Leftist Basque party Bildu, lead by Laura Mintegi, is pursuing its quest for an independent Basque homeland through peaceful means and it looks like making a strong showing on Sunday (October 21) when people vote in regional elections without the threat of violence for the first time in more than 40 years.

Eduardo Uriarte, head of the Foundation for Freedom, said an election without the threat of violence in a new and important step. "These are the first elections in the Basque Country that will take place without violence, without the direct threat of ETA, although with its influence policy through this powerful political force that is Bildu. In some way, for left wing people who wanted to see this end, we would have liked it to be without the political pressure of ETA's discourse. But no doubt it is a very important step, for the first time we have the chance to go to an election with some tranquillity," the 67-year-old said.

In 1970 Uriarte was sentenced to death under Francisco Franco's regime after having been linked with ETA. In 1977 he was granted an amnesty and took part in the foundation of the Basque left wing party Euskadiko Ezkerra. Nowadays he is one of the heads of a foundation that advocate for democracy, the Foundation for Freedom.

In the Basque Country, polls show the nationalist Partido Nacionalista Vasco (PNV) is set to win the elections, knocking aside a Socialist government whose fragile coalition with the PP broke down before the summer.

The PNV, which will likely call for further fiscal autonomy from Madrid, may well need to form a coalition to govern with the left-leaning Bildu.

"I expect some moderation from the PNV without abandoning some radical appeals. But nevertheless I think the pressure that the radical nationalist will bring in society will be very strong. Here in Euskadi when elections come many people think about packing bags and leaving. There is no more violence, but the idea still survives of saying that if the result is of this nature it is very possible that I will have to leave this country," Uriarte said.

Both Galicia, a long-time stronghold for Rajoy's conservative Popular Party (PP), and the Basque Country will have early elections on the same day, as leaders in both regions seek consensus for tough cost cuts in 2013 budgets.

Business man Javier Iglesias expects a new Basque government focused on economic affairs. "I don't expect anything but that the party or the coalition of parties that takes power decides to give us an atmosphere of economic and political stability better than the one we have. Because we have many problems to even think about stranger things. That's my opinion," he said.

The Basque Country have healthy finances and small deficits compared with many other regions.

Marian Urkiola, who works as a doctor in Bilbao, said she wanted changes in the Basque government and independence of the northern Spain region. "Later or sooner it is the logical thing, independence, that is from my point of view. But it is not necessary to follow Catalonia or Scotland. I think that we have been asking it for long time and it has been proved that the Basque country has an identity as a country," she said.

The economic crisis has fuelled separatism and highlighted fractures between Spain's wealthy northeast and the central government in Madrid. "I don't think it is going to be as strong as in Catalonia. I don't think so. They are insisting a lot. I hope it doesn't happen the same here. It is clear that there is an idea of independence here but not as strong as in Catalonia," Metal worker Goyo Moreno said.

Rajoy recently announced 65bn euros in spending cuts to try to reach a deficit target of 3% of gross domestic. Most regions remain committed to the government's austerity measures, but protests are growing against cuts to public services such as healthcare and education, the two key areas the regions have responsibility for.