Euskobarómetro
Encyclopedia
The Euskobarómetro is a sociological
statistical survey
in the Basque Country
(País Vasco), an autonomous community of Spain
. It is conducted by the Department of Political Science of the University of the Basque Country
.
or the Basque areas of France
; where Basque nationalism is generally believed to be weaker than in the three provinces of the Basque Country autonomous community.
It is based on personal interviews at home.
s about the possibility of Basque
independence, the Euskobarómetro is one of the better gauges available of the extent of Basque separatist
sentiment. According to the survey, a significant number of Basques support independence of their region from Spain, but rather few support the violence of groups such as ETA
:
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
statistical survey
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
(País Vasco), an autonomous community of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It is conducted by the Department of Political Science of the University of the Basque Country
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country is the only public university in the Basque Country, in Northern Spain...
.
Technique
The poll does not cover NavarreNavarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
or the Basque areas of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; where Basque nationalism is generally believed to be weaker than in the three provinces of the Basque Country autonomous community.
It is based on personal interviews at home.
On Basque separatism
Because the Spanish government has passed laws outlawing formal referendumReferendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
s about the possibility of Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
independence, the Euskobarómetro is one of the better gauges available of the extent of Basque separatist
Basque nationalism
Basque nationalism is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or, chiefly, full independence of the Basque Country in the wider sense...
sentiment. According to the survey, a significant number of Basques support independence of their region from Spain, but rather few support the violence of groups such as ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
:
- 33% favor Basque independence, 31% federalism, 32% autonomy, 2% centralism. (2% undecided or not answering)
- Asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement, "Today in Euskadi it is possible to defend all political aspirations and objectives without the necessity of resorting to violence", 87% agree and only 4% disagree (9% undecided or not answering). In fact, 33% of those who identify politically with ETA-affiliated BatasunaBatasunaBatasuna was a Basque nationalist political party based mainly in Spain, where it was outlawed in 2003, after a court ruling declared proven that the party was financing ETA with public money. Batasuna is included in the "European Union list of terrorist persons and organizations" as a component...
agreed with the statement. - Asked directly about their views of ETA, 60% rejected ETA totally and another 18% identified themselves as former ETA sympathizers who no longer support the group. Another 13% agreed with ETA's ends, but not their means. 3% said that their attitude towards ETA was mainly one of fear, 2% indifference. Only 2%, all identified with Batasuna, gave ETA support even as mild as "justified, with criticism". 2% were undecided or did not answer. Even within Batasuna, 63% rejected ETA's violence.