Former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was “proud” to be under his rule when “ETA surrendered”. In an interview with Cope, the former socialist president attributed to his executive the end of the gang, which sowed terror for four decades until, on October 21, 2011, he announced the end of armed activity. Zapatero (in power between April 2004 and December 2011) assessed the fact that the end of the terrorist organization has been reached without any compensation for its members, without “amending a law, nor granting pardons and let no measure of mercy be taken.” The controversy over the inclusion of former terrorists in the Bildu lists dominated the public debate in the first days of the last electoral campaign for the municipal and regional elections in May. “The victory of the great democratic values was absolute: let’s not forget that”, replied Zapatero, in a firm and insistent tone, on Monday.
When asked about Bildu, without mentioning him, Zapatero said that the minority formations that supported the Executive in some measures “respond to all democratic needs”, and that their presence responds “to the great democratic and constitutional principles”. “We have a constitution that protects all those who respect the legality of the right to political participation”, specified the former socialist leader, who indicated that it is “inseparable from democracy” for a party to participate if it has put an end to violence and respect the rules.
“I can assure you that history is on the side of those who are proud of ETA’s struggle and defeat and that this clean democracy incorporates everyone and allows everyone to play an institutional game, because that’s what makes it great.” he stressed to Carlos Herrera’s questions.
“Is it advisable to agree with separatists and pro-terrorists?” insisted the journalist. Zapatero indicated that Bildu’s legalization was not a concession, but rather a response to the “jurisprudence of all courts”. “Aznar made a concession in the truce… and when ETA suspended the dialogue, Aznar approached 105 ETA prisoners,” Zapatero criticized. “What hypocrisy is this on the right? It is the same as with the law on same-sex marriage, with the law on voluntary termination of pregnancy… they take big actions against it (…) to then demonstrate the reality, that they enjoy same-sex marriage, and that the ETA was defeated with a socialist government, and that laid down its arms forever”, he abounded.
“Fortunately we have 12 years for the first time in history for two centuries without political violence in this country,” said Zapatero, who insisted that the one who ended ETA was the Socialist Party. “Yes, my government. Under my rule, ETA has surrendered, ETA has surrendered, and I know for sure (…) I think I can be the person with the most data. It was under my rule [con] a double strategy of democratic authority and political action where dialogue and speech had to suffice when ETA surrendered”. Shoemaker. “Yes, it happened with my government, it didn’t happen with the Aznar government or that of Felipe González or Rajoy. do i feel proud? Extraordinarily”.
“The vast majority know that when they talked about negotiating ETA, they thought something might stay, we all thought that with the negotiations, and in the end it didn’t; one day I will tell the whole story,” continued Zapatero. “There has been no more imperious end in democratic terms, cleaner than that of terrorism. Every time I went to an attack (…) what the victims always generously told me was: ‘Let’s see if this is the last one.’ Well, there was one last (…) and there was not another act of violence, no splitting of any member of ETA”.
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When asked again about Bildu’s parliamentary support for the government, the former prime minister launched an appeal for reconciliation. “The Democrats were absolutely right and we have no objection to them playing the democratic game; It doesn’t create any problems for me because Spain gets along better with those who have questioned it or can question it, without violence, they participate ”, he specified.
Zapatero acknowledged that the election result was bad for his party in which governments were lost, but Pedro Sánchez’s reaction to calling elections for the next day is “intelligent”. Sánchez’s predecessor in La Moncloa showed his support for his party and for President Pedro Sánchez, who he said “governs with great honesty”, which he justified in the “great government that we have, with a spectacular result”. There are very few countries in the world with the economy, tranquility and security that Spain has at the moment”. Zapatero also praised the work of Economy Minister Nadia Calviño. Although she won’t go to the lists, she has assured that she will be seen in the campaign.