Basque pro-independence party Batasuna is considering to appeal the decision the European Court of Human Rights issued this week. The ruling declares that the Spanish government acted rightly when outlawing Batasuna in 2002 on the grounds it was "ETA's political wing". Batasuna is planning now to appeal the decision before the Grand Chamber, the body to which decisions of great importance may be referred.

The Spanish government and Spanish nationalist parties in the Basque Country have welcomed the ruling and have considered it as an endorsement of the law that made the banning possible -the Political Parties Act- despite the fact the decision does not mention it whatsoever. The Court's ruling dismissed Batasuna's appeal, which underlined that the ban infringed the right to freedom of expression, right to hold assembly and the right to association. The Court stated Spain proceeded to the party's disbanding as a result of a "pressing social need".

Apart from Batasuna, most Basque nationalist parties have expressed disagreement with the ruling. Both Aralar and EA (Eusko Alkartasuna) have said the Court's decision is "bad news for democracy". EB (Ezker Batua) declared that "nobody can make us regard the Political Parties Act as a democratic law, because it is not", and further invited the pro-independence Basque movement to dissociate itself from ETA. The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) has said that it "respects" the ruling, but added that the decision "does not confirm" the Political Parties Act, as main Spanish parties want us to believe. In PNV's opinion, it is simply a decision to a previous appeal lodged by Batasuna.

More information:

• Gara: Estrasburgo avala las ilegalizaciones
• Deia: Punto y seguido: recurso ante la Gran Sala
• El País: El Tribunal de Estrasburgo ratifica la ilegalización de Batasuna