Catalonia Today, March 2, 2006 | ETA’s ill-timed meddling

Eta has not killed anyone for 1,000 days. The Spanish government and the terrorist organization are holding negotiations to solve the Basque conflict. It is an open secret. But the PP cannot accept the idea that Zapatero might be helping tobring a definitive end to the violence. The PP is creating every possible obstruction, while hiding it behind banners and the Eta victims. The political tension mounts with the face-off between the government and the opposition, with the Basque question as the main topics. Last Saturday's communique from Eta was a hard blow because it highlighted the privileged position we Catalans have, compared to the rest of Spain - a partial truce which most people have forgotten about. Bringing this up again is terrible for Catalonia's image, as it coincides with the most aggressive period of Catalanaphobia. The debate over the Estatut and Catalan parties’ support for Zapatero have provoked Spanish hostility toward Catalans. The link that Eta makes between the Basque and the Catalan causes is an example of very harmful meddling. And that’s without mentioning its deliberate untimeliness.

(Article de Saül Gordillo al setmanari Catalonia Today, 2 de març de 2006, pàgina 3.)