:53:00
You'll have politicians
controlling the media,
:53:03
creating opinions, manipulating
things as they please.
:53:08
The Popular Party (PP) won the
general election in Spain in 1996.
:53:13
Since 2000, José María Aznar has
governed with an absolute majority.
:53:18
In May 2001,
the nationalist coalition PNV-EA
:53:20
won in the Basque Country
(43% of the vote).
:53:23
The PP is the second
political force (23%).
:53:27
Since the PP obtained
an absolute majority
:53:31
freedom of expression
has lost ground,
:53:33
but I think that freedom
in general has lost ground.
:53:39
In my opinion,
:53:40
while the transition
took many steps forward
:53:43
the PP is now trying to take
those same steps backwards.
:53:47
Aznar always used to say that,
:53:49
because of the transition
and everything that came after,
:53:54
Spain was leaning more
towards the provinces
:53:58
and had lost its identity
as a nation.
:54:01
They declared that terrorism
was equivalent to nationalism,
:54:05
and said if they put an end
to nationalism
:54:08
they'd put an end to terrorism.
:54:10
The Basque problem has become
a means, first of all,
:54:15
of demonstrating firmness
:54:17
and winning votes
throughout all of Spain.
:54:21
A few years ago, the moment came
when you had to make a choice.
:54:25
You were with the victims
or with the executioners,
:54:28
with democracy or with those
who were attacking democracy.
:54:32
What's more, with the Basque
problem, it's a matter of:
:54:35
"If you're not with me,
you're against me".
:54:38
Bush's new philosophy.
:54:40
No divergence is acceptable.
:54:42
That has been widely accepted
by the press in Madrid.
:54:47
And I mean Madrid.
:54:49
There is practically unanimity among
columnists on the Basque question,
:54:54
whether it's "ABC", "La Razón",
"El Mundo" or "El País".
:54:58
The view of the Basque Country
comes from a single source,