2
such as the Basque Country is the problem of political violence; Northern Ireland stands
as a striking example of such a solution. The larger objective of resolving nationalist
conflicts (assuming they take non-violent forms) may not be realistic, at least in a liberal
democratic context, in the short or even medium term. It is therefore more accurate to
speak of conflict ‘management’ or ‘regulation. Also, the paper avoids treating sub-state
nationalism as a ‘problem,’ or a bothersome force that states need to obliterate. From a
normative point of view, it is suspect to view sub-state nationalism as being always and
consistently morally inferior to state nationalism. In this context, the question is not one
of ‘right’ versus ‘wrong;’ rather, it has to do with the peaceful and satisfactory
coexistence of populations identifying with different nations.
The paper is divided into three sections. The first features a theoretical discussion
of approaches to nationalist conflict management. The second analyzes the case of Spain
and the Basque Country in light of these approaches. The third focuses on a recent
proposal from Basque lehendakari (president) Ibarretxe for a status of ‘Free Association’
between the Basque Country and the Spanish state. This section analyzes the political
logic behind this proposal as well as its potential future.
Nationalist Management Strategies: Theoretical Perspective.
There are different approaches for responding to the claims of sub-state
nationalism.
1
These approaches are not mutually exclusive but rather tend to be used in
combination. In addition, one particular approach can be implemented through different
strategies. For example, a state looking to boost the power of a group in central
1
John McGarry and Brendan O’Leary, The Politics of Ethnic Conflict Regulation (London:
Routledge, 1993).
Convention