Ummm, Wolf, with all due respect, I can't disagree more with you.

What do you understand by "basque autonomy"? In 1978 our Constitution and then the basque autonomy agreement (Estatuto de Gernica) granted ample rights to the basque autonomous community.

Over the years that autonomy has been developed to a point in which the Basque Country is more autonomous than a german lander (being Germany a federal republic), of course more than Ulster or Scotland, and certainly more than a US state (I would say even more than Puerto Rico).

The basque autonomy has an own parlament which can dictate laws, has an own autonomous government, has an own police, their own courts, health system, education system, infrastructures (rail, phone, radio, highways, roads,...), financial agreements with the spanish state and a lot of privileges over other autonomies. The only things the state has retained are common defense, airports and seaports management and certain taxes for the public social security system.

Therefore, what more would you want the state to transfer to the basque government? Should they have their own army? Think of the USA having over 50 armies...

Every government since 1978 has negotiated with the basque government. Both PSOE and PP have even been supported by basque nationalists in the spanish parlament.

As for a referendum it is almost impossible. Would USA accept a referendum for Dakota to be independent?

As for expelling a political party for not publicly denouncing ETA it has never been done. Batasuna was illegalized for financing and actively supporting ETA. Various of their congressmen were ETA members, even one now is an ETA leader (Josu Ternera).

Cali: I won't comment anything about Ignacio as I have promised. As for you, I don't believe in people who say one thing and then argue for other. But let's please argue over things, not over board members.

Fernando