By Anne-France White - 24th October 2006
STRASBOURG: After a divisive debate, the European parliament has passed a resolution backing the Basque peace process.
The resolution passed narrowly at Wednesday's plenary vote, with 321 in favour and 311 against.
The text, jointly tabled by the PSE, ALDE, greens and GUE/NGL, declares the parliament’s support for the peace process initiated by socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
“The parliament supports the fight against terrorism and the peace initiative in the Basque country undertaken by the Spanish democratic institutions within the framework of their exclusive competences,” it reads.
Ahead of the debate, parliament’s political groups clashed over whether the resolution is providing publicity to a terrorist group.
The move had been opposed by the centre-right EPP group, which warned against rewarding Basque terrorists Eta with political concessions for ending violence.
But it received cross-party support from the parliament’s left-leaning members, who said it showed solidarity with Madrid’s ongoing peace-process with Eta.
European parliament president Josep Borrell, who is a Spanish socialist, spoke out in favour of the resolution after the vote, saying “if the parliament wants to build a supranational democracy, it is important to look at these issues”.
Eta declared a permanent ceasefire in March and Zapatero announced peace talks in June – but the talks have not yet begun.
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