Spaniards Want Government to Negotiate with ETA

January 15, 2007


(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Spain believe their administration should seek new talks with the country's most notorious armed group, according to a poll by Instituto Opina released by Cadena Ser. 55.2 per cent of respondents think the government should keep trying to negotiate the end of terrorism.

On Mar. 22, 2006, Basque Motherland and Liberty (ETA) announced a "permanent ceasefire" and urged the "authorities in Spain and France" to "approach the issue in a positive manner, and leave repression aside.". 66.2 per cent of respondents think the government was right to initiate a peace process with ETA.

On Dec. 30, a car bomb exploded inside Madrid's Barajas International Airport. While ETA had telephoned authorities three times to report the attack, two people who were not evacuated from the T4 terminal lost their lives. On Jan. 11, Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero confirmed that his government's talks with ETA are over. 64.2 per cent of respondents are hopeful about the eventual return of the peace process.

Also on Jan. 11, Zapatero discussed the situation at a meeting with regional politicians, saying, "Given that just a few days ago we had a tragic accident, a tragic terrorist attack at Barajas, I wanted to propose that we show our energetic condemnation and also our profound solidarity to the victims."

Spain's Association of Terrorism Victims (AVT) issued a statement, expressing dismay at Zapatero's use of the word "accident", adding, "The president has adopted ETA's discourse, and although he tries to mislead Spanish society, his subconscious has betrayed him in a most revealing fashion."

Polling Data

Despite the attack, do you think the government should keep trying to negotiate the end of terrorism?


Yes
55.2%

No
38.3%


Despite the attack, do you think the government was right to initiate a peace process with Basque Motherland and Liberty (ETA)?


Yes
66.2%

No
22.9%


Are you hopeful on the eventual return of the peace process?


Yes
64.2%

No
26.1%