Ezker Nazionala: Basque attempt to copy Catalonia's Aliança Catalana
Born from a split with EH Bildu, Ezker Nazionala pushes a hard line against immigration and looks to the German party BSW. Does it have an electoral future?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Ezker Nancy: the Basque left that embraces the anti-immigration message
Ezker Nancy has arrived to break the taboo of immigration within the Basque left-wing nationalist movement. Founded in November 2024 by dissidents from EH Bildu, the party combines abertzale (Basque nationalist) and socialist rhetoric with a border-control message that draws directly on Germany's BSW, Sahra Wagenknecht's party. The label of "a Basque Aliança Catalana" is no accident: both projects tap the same vein, albeit from different ideological coordinates.
An ideological cocktail, German-style
The movement defines itself as left-wing nationalist, anti-globalist and socialist, but its programmatic core is radical opposition to immigration. It is the same bet as the BSW in Germany: left-wing on economics and extremely tough on borders. The paradox does not seem to bother its promoters, who argue that the local worker has more in common with the local business owner than with the newcomer.
The electoral ceiling: the Irish mirror and the Gaza test
Comparisons with Aontú, the conservative split from Ireland's Sinn Féin, set the ceiling: 7% in the polls. But there is an extra obstacle: its pro-Palestinian stance. In a media ecosystem that treats immigration as a sensitive topic, being "pro-Palestine" may close every door to them. Or, on the contrary, consolidate them as the only dissenting voice within Basque nationalism.
Awaiting its first results, Ezker Nancy is playing on a board with two contradictory models: the success of the BSW in Germany and the stagnation of Aontú in Ireland. Whether it survives will depend on whether it can sell its blend without losing either of its two hats.
Ezker Nancy has arrived to break the taboo of immigration within the Basque left-wing nationalist movement. Founded in November 2024 by dissidents from EH Bildu, the party combines abertzale (Basque nationalist) and socialist rhetoric with a border-control message that draws directly on Germany's BSW, Sahra Wagenknecht's party. The label of "a Basque Aliança Catalana" is no accident: both projects tap the same vein, albeit from different ideological coordinates.
An ideological cocktail, German-style
The movement defines itself as left-wing nationalist, anti-globalist and socialist, but its programmatic core is radical opposition to immigration. It is the same bet as the BSW in Germany: left-wing on economics and extremely tough on borders. The paradox does not seem to bother its promoters, who argue that the local worker has more in common with the local business owner than with the newcomer.
The electoral ceiling: the Irish mirror and the Gaza test
Comparisons with Aontú, the conservative split from Ireland's Sinn Féin, set the ceiling: 7% in the polls. But there is an extra obstacle: its pro-Palestinian stance. In a media ecosystem that treats immigration as a sensitive topic, being "pro-Palestine" may close every door to them. Or, on the contrary, consolidate them as the only dissenting voice within Basque nationalism.
Awaiting its first results, Ezker Nancy is playing on a board with two contradictory models: the success of the BSW in Germany and the stagnation of Aontú in Ireland. Whether it survives will depend on whether it can sell its blend without losing either of its two hats.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (21 replies).
More summaries
-
Catalan party Alianza Catalana weighs a leap into Spain's general election
Silvia Orriols's party denies it will run in the general election, but internal pressure and buzz on social media keep the debate alive. Will it change strategy?
-
Ceuta: Spain's New Basque Country?
Tensions in Ceuta fuel comparisons with the Basque conflict, citing state neglect and fear of Morocco.
-
Otegi's alleged alliance with Sánchez sparks fierce backlash
Otegi appears with Basque socialists in an image that triggers criticism: he asks PSOE to tackle corruption while offering support. Alliance or survival?
-
Tweet Places Pablo Fernández in Luxury Housing Development
A tweet places Pablo Fernández living in a luxury development from the Mahou-Calderón operation, the same one Podemos tried to halt.
-
Amelia: the meme that hijacked official British propaganda
The British government created an educational character to promote immigration, but the right turned it into an anti-establishment icon. That's how the Amelia meme was born.
-
Sánchez and the misery business: master plan or conspiracy theory?
An analysis of the theory accusing Spain's PM Sánchez of creating an army of dependents through immigration and benefits to secure votes. A real plan or a conspiracy theory?