ABSTRACT
The armed struggle in question By the time all organizations of the Nationalist Left decided to initiate a general strategic debate, it was clear that there were two main incompatible positions within the movement. The two factions agreed that they should seek a joining of nationalist forces. However, the leadership of Batasuna, among others, believed that the armed struggle was incompatible with the objective of allying with other pro-independence forces, because these other parties had maintained, and shown, that they were not prepared to collaborate with the Nationalist Left if ETA was active. This faction believed that experience had proven that the negotiation model did not work, and that ETA and the Nationalist Left should start a unilateral process to end the armed confrontation. In contrast, the leaderships of ETA and Ekin, among others, contended that an adapted armed struggle could be compatible with a joint political action with other nationalists. This faction regarded ETA’s campaign as a necessary tool to force the Spanish state to negotiate a way out of the conflict.1
