CELTIC LEAGUE: REFERENDUM BILL COULD PAVE THE WAY TO BASQUE FREEDOM

A Basque Government referendum Bill was placed before the Basque Government today (29th May 2008), that could be the first step towards the Basque Country voting for independence from the Spanish state in 2010.

In a move that marks the beginning of what could possibly be the first of several referendums on independence over the coming years in Western Europe, including one in Scotland, the Basque Prime Minister, Juan Jose Ibarretxe, presented the Bill to the Basque Parliament President Izaskun Bilbao. The formal presentation took place before the Basque Parliament in Gasteiz/Vitoria and the wording of the Bill is planned to be debated in the Parliament on 27th June 2008 and no corrections will be allowed. If agreed, the Bill will be put to popular vote on October 25th 2008 and Ibarretxe has stated that he expects the Basque Parliament to give the Bill their total support.

However, the Spanish Socialist Government in Madrid, headed by Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has said that it will seek a court order to prevent the vote going ahead if the Bill is approved on 27th June. Ibarretxe's decision to propose the Bill comes after negotiations between Zapatero and Ibarretxe broke down over the last couple of weeks, with Ibarretxe stating that the Spanish PM did not want to negotiate with the Basque institutions. Ibarretxe said in a statement:

"We want to have the right to decide and the right to live together in peace."

A Referendum on independence is also planned for Scotland in 2010 and in Catalunya on 2014.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

29/05/08