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104-424: Kutxa, like the rest of Basque savings banks, was founded in the years following the definite loss of the charters (1876) in the middle of growing industrial development and new business opportunities. It constitutes a financial entity with entrenched roots in the social and economic fabric of Gipuzkoa, featuring an intricate system of management and internal control organs: The origins of Kutxa go back to 1879, when

208-460: A social-democratic ideology, while the EAJ-PNV remained more attached to its Christian-democratic ideas. The split was particularly bitter given that it was headed by the lehendakari (premier) himself. Many EAJ-PNV political bars ( batzoki  [ eu ] , "meeting place") became alkartetxe  [ eu ] ("meeting house"). Since 1991, as time has eased the bitter split (helped by

312-517: A 2,200 years old (1st century BC) bronze hand silhouette was unearthed in June 2021 from a Navarrese Lakidain hillside and is the oldest Basconic text to date. Basconic scripts appears to reflect Celtiberian regional influence, with archaeo-linguists able to identify the Basque sound " SORIONEKU " (Modern Basque: Zorioneko; English: blessed, fortunate, lucky ) among other words. This evidence suggests that

416-728: A buffer state between the Basques and the Cordovan Umayyads that helped consolidate the independent Kingdom of Pamplona after the second Battle of Roncevaux , when a Frankish expedition led by the counts Eblus and Aznar (sometimes identified as the local Frankish vassal toppled in Aragon some 10 years earlier) was defeated by the Pamplonese and maybe the Banu Qasi, after crossing the Pyrenees, probably in

520-615: A decision coming in for strong objections led by circles close to the Basque nationalist left , who initially opposed any convergences but eventually advocated for a complete merger. After the bankruptcy of a number of Spanish banks and their rescue by the Spanish public coffers, the European financial institutions conditioned a bailout to Spain on a requirement to the Madrid Government to transform

624-532: A language related to Basque. Although little is known about the prehistory of the Basques before the period of Roman occupation owing to the difficulty in identifying evidence for specific cultural traits, the mainstream view today is that the Basque area shows signs of archaeological continuity since the Aurignacian period. Many Basque archaeological sites, including cave dwellings such as Santimamiñe , provide evidence for continuity from Aurignacian times down to

728-674: A link, and possibly a trading centre, between Portugal ( Vila Nova de São Pedro culture) and Languedoc (Treilles group). Concurrently, caves and natural shelters remained in use, particularly in the Atlantic region. Undecorated pottery continued from the Neolithic period up until the arrival of the Bell Beaker culture with its characteristic pottery style, which is mainly found around the Ebro Valley. Building of megalithic structures continued until

832-530: A major impact on Basque history in the late Empire. In the late 4th century and throughout the 5th century, the Basque region from the Garonne to the Ebro escaped Roman control in the midst of revolts. Several Roman villas (Liédena, Ramalete) were burned to the ground. The proliferation of mints is interpreted as evidence for an inner limes around Vasconia , where coins were minted for the purpose of paying troops. After

936-586: A regular foundation put forward by the Regional Government of Gipuzkoa and representatives of EH Bildu was rejected after heated debate. On 26 October 2014, the results of the latest stress test carried out by the European Central Bank on European banks confirmed Kutxabank, integrated by Kutxa, as the healthiest financial institution in Spain (data for late 2013), doubling the minimum requirements imposed by

1040-539: A remnant population that trace their ancestry to Mesolithic hunter-gatherer groups," says Prof. Jakobsson. About 35,000 years ago, the lands that are now the Basque Country , together with neighbouring areas such as Aquitaine and the Pyrenees , were settled by Cro-Magnons , who gradually displaced the region's earlier Neanderthal population. The settlers brought the Aurignacian culture with them. At this stage,

1144-568: A result. After 456, the Visigoths crossed the Pyrenees twice from Aquitaine, probably at Roncesvalles , in an effort to destroy the Suevic kingdom of Rechiar, but as the chronicle of Hydatius , the only Spanish source of the period, ends in 469, the actual events of the Visigothic confrontation with the Basques are obscure. Apart from the vanished previous tribal boundaries, the great development between

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1248-572: A small faction known as the "Aberrianos" ("Fatherlanders") within the party remained committed to the cause of independence. In 1921, the leading members of the Aberrianos were kicked from the moderate Basque Nationalist Communion. Later that year, the Aberrianos officially formed their own political party, reclaiming the name "Basque Nationalist Party". During the single party dictatorship of Captain General Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923-1930),

1352-610: A small faction split from the Basque Nationalist Communion shortly before the reunification, calling itself Eusko Abertzale Ekintza-Acción Nacionalista Vasca (" Basque Nationalist Action "). It was on the moderate nationalist left, non-confessional and open to alliances with Spanish republican and socialist parties. The division between autonomism and independentism appeared again during the Second Spanish Republic . Headed by Aberriano veteran Eli Gallastegi ,

1456-622: A small group of independentists coalesced around the Mountaineering Federation of Biscay and its affiliated weekly publication Jagi-Jagi ("Arise Arise"), and abandoned the now-moderate and autonomist Basque Nationalist Party. After the Spanish Civil War of 18 July 1936, the party felt torn. Certain branches of the party supported the rebellion against the Republic, feeling sympathy for its Catholic and anti-Communist agenda. However,

1560-461: A steady expansion period. Its staff amounted in 2006 to above 2,500 employees. However, since the eruption of the economic crisis (2008) and the savings banks’ merger, Kutxa has undergone a restructuring, cutting down significantly the amount and distribution of Kutxa branches. The move to form Kutxabank in 2012 did not result in a full-blown merger. Instead the management boards of each savings bank opted to keep their own identity and certain autonomy,

1664-659: A war front had been established at the northern tip of Álava and to the west of Donostia-San Sebastián . Initially, the Defence Committees in Biscay and Gipuzkoa were dominated by the Popular Front . After hard negotiations, eventually Basque autonomy was granted within the Second Spanish Republic in late 1936, and the new autonomous government immediately organized the Basque Army , consisting of militias recruited separately by

1768-507: Is a Basque nationalist and regionalist political party . The party is located in the centre of the political spectrum. The party is described as Christian-democratic , with social-democratic and conservative-liberal factions. In 2020 the party voted in favour of the investiture of the current Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez , belonging to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party . It operates in all

1872-502: Is a word comprising two parts: JeL (the acronym for "God and the Old Laws") and -(t)zale (literally meaning "fond of"). Thus jeltzale could be rendered in English as "one who is fond of God and the Old Laws (JeL)", or translated simply as "nationalist". A jelkide (after -kide , "companion") is a member of the party. Alderdi Eguna ("Party Day") is the national holiday of

1976-755: Is the largest Basque nationalist party, having led the Basque Government uninterruptedly since 1979, except for a brief period between 2009 and 2012. In Navarre, it is part of the coalition Geroa Bai , which is currently a junior partner of the PSOE in the Navarrese regional government. Currently a member of the European Democratic Party , EAJ-PNV was previously a member of the European Free Alliance from 1999 to 2004. Earlier it had been affiliated with

2080-515: The Basque Country (adjacent areas of Spain and France ). Their history is therefore interconnected with Spanish and French history and also with the history of many other past and present countries, particularly in Europe and the Americas , where a large number of their descendants keep attached to their roots, clustering around Basque clubs which are centers for Basque people. The Hand of Irulegi ,

2184-562: The Basque Country in both Spain and France. In 1916, the Basque Nationalist Party renamed itself the Basque Nationalist Communion ( Comunión Nacionalista Vasca ). This name change marked a departure, in many aspects, from the original doctrine of the late Sabino Arana and casting itself as a broader social movement rather than simply a political party. The Basque Nationalist Communion at this point advocated for Basque autonomy within Spain, rather than outright independence. However,

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2288-519: The Basque Statute of Autonomy . The Conservative Spanish Government has pointed to a necessity for transparent and efficient management, but it is itself badly affected by corruption scandals by 2015 (arrest of Rodrigo Rato , former Bankia president, ex-vice Prime Minister, and ex-president of the IMF ). The two main Basque political parties, as well as grass-roots associations have voiced their concern for

2392-626: The European People's Party and the Christian Democrat International (from which it was expelled in 2000). The current chairman of the EAJ-PNV is Andoni Ortuzar . The party's youth wing is Euzko Gaztedi . The EAJ-PNV's social offices are called batzokis, of which there are over 200 throughout the world. Since 1932, the party celebrates Aberri Eguna (Homeland Day) on Easter . Also, since 1977, it celebrates Alderdi Eguna (Party Day). The Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV)

2496-672: The Frankish assault on Basques and Aquitanians , despite its powerful propaganda value, Odo was even recognized as champion of Christianity by the Pope. Charlemagne started a policy of colonization in Aquitaine and Vasconia after the submission of both territories in 768–769. Enlisting the Church on his side to strengthen his power in Vasconia, he restored Frankish authority on the high Pyrenees in 778, divided

2600-452: The Iron Age , shortly before Roman occupation. The possibility therefore cannot be ruled out of at least some of the same people having continued to inhabit the area for thirty millennia. Some scholars have interpreted the Basque words aizto 'knife' and aizkora (variants axkora , azkora ) 'axe' as containing aitz 'stone', which they take as evidence that the Basque language dates back to

2704-600: The Pyrenees and up to the Garonne, as evidenced by Caesar's testimony on his book De Bello Gallico , Aquitanian inscriptions (person and god names), and several place-names. Most of the Aquitanian tribes were subjugated by Crasus, lieutenant of Caesar, in 65 BC. However, prior to this conquest (celebrated apparently, on the Tower of Urkulu ), the Romans had reached the upper Ebro region at

2808-448: The Saltus , where Roman towns were scarce and generally small. However, the latest 21st century findings have called into question that assumption, highlighting the importance of fishing (fish processing factories, caetariae ) and mining sector on the Atlantic arch (the Atlantic route of cabotage), as well as other settlements dotting the Atlantic basin. The Bagaudae seem to have produced

2912-516: The Saxons . However, it remained a slow internal process that stretched from the 4th century to the 12th century, with some scholars extending it up to the 15th century. The Christian poet Prudentius sings to the prominent Vasconic town of Calahorra in his work Peristephanon (I) written in the early 5th century, reminding to the town's "one-time pagan Vascones " of the martyrdom gone through in it formerly (305). Calahorra itself became episcopal see in

3016-476: The Stone Age . Others postulate that aizkora is considered a latin loaned to asciola ; cf. Spanish azuela , Catalan aixol . A high concentration of Rh- among Basques, who have the highest level worldwide, had already been interpreted as suggestive of the antiquity and lack of admixture of the Basque genetic stock. In the 1990s Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza published his findings according to which one of

3120-606: The Vasconic substrate predates the timeline previously estimated, and that preindoeuropean language were in common use among inhabitants of this side of the Pyrenees twenty-two centuries ago. After the Roman invasions, in the 1st century BC, Strabo wrote that the northern parts of what are now Navarre ( Nafarroa in Basque) and Aragon (Basque: Aragoa) were inhabited by the Vascones . Despite

3224-597: The "treacherous" Basques, as put by Frankish chroniclers, suggesting that the Basques overall and Duke Lupus backed down on their 769 allegiance vow. After 781, tired of the Basque uprisings, Charlemagne appointed no more dukes, instead opting for a direct rule by creating the Kingdom of Aquitaine. The Basque-Muslim state of the Banu Qasi (meaning "heirs of Cassius" in Arabic), founded c. 800 near Tudela ( Tutera in Basque), acted as

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3328-512: The (stone circle) or cromlech and the megalith or menhir , made their appearance. On arrival of the Romans to current south-west France, the Pyrenees and its threshold up to Cantabria, the territory was occupied by a number of tribes, most of them non Indo-European (the nature of others remain unclear, e.g. the Caristii). The Vascones show the closest identification with current Basques, but evidence points to Basque-like people extending around

3432-574: The 1950s and 1960s, the party looked for alliances abroad, expecting at first that the defeat of the Axis in World War II would encourage USA's support for an eventual overthrow of Franco's hold on power, which did not happen. In addition, it was a founder party of the Christian Democrat International , but now the party is an active member of the European Democratic Party . In the late 1960s and early 1970s, contacts started with other Spanish parties to assert

3536-721: The 2006 government of President Juan José Ibarretxe Markuartu . Still, EA decided to run by itself in the municipal elections held in May 2007. Former president Juan José Ibarretxe spearheaded a call for the reform of the Statute of Autonomy that governs the Basque Country Autonomous Community , through a proposal widely known as the Ibarretxe Plan , passed by the Basque Parliament but not even accepted for discussion by

3640-484: The 4th century, with its bishop holding an authority over a territory that extended well into the lands of present-day central Rioja ( Sierra de Cameros ), Biscay , Álava , a large part of Gipuzkoa and Navarre . In the 5th century, Eauze (Elusa) is attested as episcopal see in the Novempopulania , but the actual influence of these centers on the different domains of the society is not well known. The collapse of

3744-516: The Basque Country formed part of the archaeological Franco-Cantabrian province which extended all the way from Asturias to Provence . Throughout this region, which underwent similar cultural developments with some local variation, Aurignacian culture was successively replaced by Gravettian , Solutrean , and Magdalenian cultures. Except for the Aurignacian, these all seem to have originated in

3848-521: The Basque Country was first settled in this period. Gradually, Neolithic technology started to filter through from the Mediterranean coasts, first in the form of isolated pottery items (Zatoia, Marizulo) and later with the introduction of sheepherding . As in most of Atlantic Europe, this transition progressed slowly. In the Ebro valley, more fully Neolithic sites are found. Anthropometric classification of

3952-669: The Basque Duke William II Sanchez of Gascony , who made his way back from Pamplona to fight to the north of Bayonne and put a term to Viking incursions, so allowing monasteries to spring up all over Gascony thereafter, the first of which was the one of Saint-Sever , Caput Vasconiae . Basque Nationalist Party The Basque Nationalist Party ( Basque : Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea , EAJ [eus̺ko aldeɾdi jelts̻ale.a] ; Spanish : Partido Nacionalista Vasco , PNV; French : Parti Nationaliste Basque , PNB; EAJ-PNV ), officially Basque National Party in English,

4056-551: The Basque Government's building and that the anti-Nazi Charles de Gaulle maintained it as a Spanish Government's possession. The building today is the Instituto Cervantes premises where French people can learn any of the Spanish languages, including Basque. In 1959, ETA was created by young undergraduates from the area of Bilbao (organisation EKIN) lured by Basque nationalist ideology, but increasingly disgruntled at

4160-435: The Basque Nationalist Party was outlawed, and its members went underground. Many of its activities continued through mountaineering ("mendigoxale") and folklore associations. However, the Basque Nationalist Communion was tolerated by the Spanish dictatorship as it was considered a moderate regionalist party. At the end of 1930, the two nationalist organisations united under the original name Basque Nationalist Party. However,

4264-478: The Basque Nationalist Party which is annually celebrated on the last Sunday of September, the Sunday closest to the feast day of Saint Michael , the patron saint of Euskal Herria and of the Basque Nationalist Party. The central act of this celebration is a political meeting of leading nationalists, but the celebration begins in the morning with a traditional festival in which the different municipal organizations from

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4368-578: The Basque and Spanish context, the Basque savings banks have got directly entangled in the general measures exacted by the Spanish Government on banking. The 2013 governmental decisions, reportedly meant to target bankrupt and mismanaged financial institutions, made no operative distinctions between healthy or corrupt banks. The central government's measures also point to additional political implications in that they may overrule existing Basque attributions and powers on banking and foundations, as set out on

4472-591: The Basques ̶ the Duchy of Cantabria in the south and the Duchy of Vasconia in the north (602). In the south-western marches of the Frankish Duchy of Vasconia, extending at certain periods during the 6-8th centuries across the Pyrenees, Cantabria (maybe including Biscay and Álava) and Pamplona remained out of Visigothic rule, with the latter sticking to either self-rule or under Frankish suzerainty (Councils of Toledo unattended between 589 and 684). After much fighting,

4576-462: The Basques managing thereafter to fend off Frankish rule to the south of the western Pyrenees. The line of the Aristas ruled Pamplona side by side with the Banu Qasi of Tudela up to the decline of both dynasties (early 10th century). When Sancho I Garces rose to prominence in 905, Pamplonese allegiances switched to their neighbour Christian realms, with the new royal lineage starting its expansion south to

4680-547: The Duchy of Vasconia was consolidated as an independent polity between 660 and 678 ruled by the Duke Felix, who by means of a personal union with the Duchy of Aquitaine established a de facto realm detached from the distant Merovingian rule. Synergies between "Roman", non-Frankish urban elites and a rural militarised Vascon power base enabled a strong political entity in south-west Gaul. The Basque-Aquitanian realm reached its zenith at

4784-402: The EAJ-PNV's position in a new post-Francoist order. At the same time, the Basque Nationalist Party confirmed its stance against ETA in a period when its violent actions saw a surge and its influence in society was very apparent, especially in street protests. Juan de Ajuriaguerra paved the way for the EAJ-PNV's comeback to Basque politics from exile, and started to negotiate their participation in

4888-634: The Emperor. Romans apparently entered into alliances ( foedera , singular foedus ) with many local tribes, allowing them almost total autonomy within the Empire. Livy mentions the natural division between the Ager and the Saltus Vasconum , i.e. between the fields of the Ebro basin and the mountains to the north. It has been held by historians that Romanisation was significant in the fertile Ager but almost null in

4992-460: The European test. Kutxa holds shares of a wide variety of companies (investment funds, financial ones, insurances, industry, services, etc.). Among the most significant shares are an 11% of the Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (C.A.F.), 22.98% of Euskaltel , 9.98% of Banco Guipuzcoano , 3,01% of Zeltia , 5% of Grupo Recoletos , 3% of NH Hotels , 17% of Ingelectric , 41,73% of Ibermática , etc. Despite their remarkable performance in

5096-529: The Franco-Cantabrian region, which suggests no further waves of immigration into the area during the Paleolithic period. Within the present-day Basque Country, settlement was limited almost exclusively to the Atlantic area, probably for climatic reasons. Important Basque sites include the following: At the end of the Ice Age , Magdalenian culture gave way to Azilian culture. Hunters turned from large animals to smaller prey, and fishing and seafood gathering became important economic activities. The southern part of

5200-443: The Franks launched a second attack on the Basques, but they were defeated on the plains of Aquitaine, implying that Basque settlement or conquest had begun north of the Pyrenees. However, the theory of a Basque expansionism in the Early Middle Ages has often been dismissed and is not necessary to understand the historic evolution of this region. Soon afterwards, the Franks and Goths created their respective marches in order to contain

5304-400: The Late Bronze Age. In Aquitaine, there was a notable presence of the Artenacian culture , a culture of bowmen that spread rapidly through Western France and Belgium from its homeland near the Garonne c. 2400 BCE. In the Late Bronze Age, parts of the southern Basque Country came under the influence of the pastoralist Cogotas I culture of the Iberian plateau. In the Iron Age , bearers of

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5408-462: The Republic, or France. However, some members of the Alavese and Navarrese committees, ahead of an official decision, published notes refusing support to the Republic . Notwithstanding their initial ambiguous position in certain areas, the party premises and press in Álava and Navarre were closed in that month of July. Some PNV sympathizers and members joined the Carlist battalions, either out of conviction or to avoid persecution. By October 1936,

5512-448: The Republic, the Basque Army surrendered to the Italian Corpo Truppe Volontari through the so-called Santoña Agreement . Prison sentences and executions followed, as the rebel government of Francisco Franco ruled that separate terms of surrender could not be made between the Basques and Italians. The Basque government then moved to Barcelona until the fall of Catalonia , and then out of Spain into exile in France . Lehendakari Aguirre

5616-446: The Roman Empire seems to have turned the tide. Basques are not identified anymore with Roman civilization and its declining urban life after the late 5th century, and they prevailed over Roman urban culture, so that paganism remained widespread among the Basques at least up to the late 7th century and the failed mission of Saint Amandus . However, less than a century later, no reference is made by Frankish chroniclers to Basque paganism in

5720-411: The Spanish Cortes Generales . In 2009, the EAJ-PNV was expelled from office by an alliance of the Socialist Party of the Basque Country and the People's Party , taking advantage of a distorted parliament representation issued from the outlawing of left-wing Basque nationalists. Until that moment, the EAJ-PNV dominated every administration of the Basque government. In Navarre, the EA and EAJ-PNV formed

5824-444: The Visigoths in 416 as allies of Rome, while the consequences of their advances are not clear. In 418 Rome gave the provinces of Aquitania and Tarraconensis to the Visigoths , as foederati , probably with a view to defending Novempopulana from the raids of the Bagaudae . It has sometimes been argued that the Basque were underlying these roving armed hosts, but this claim is far from certain. The contemporary chronicler Hydatius

5928-433: The area further west followed a fierce Roman campaign against the Cantabri (see Cantabrian Wars ). There are archaeological remains from this period of garrisons protecting commercial routes all along the Ebro river, and along a Roman road between Asturica and Burdigala . A unit of Varduli was stationed on Hadrian's Wall in the north of Britain for many years, and earned the title fida (faithful) for service to

6032-415: The beginning of the 2nd century BC, on the fringes of the Basque territory (Calagurris, Graccurris). Under Pompey in the 1st century BC, the Romans stationed in and founded Pompaelo (modern Pamplona , Iruñea in Basque) but Roman rule was not consolidated until the time of the Emperor Augustus . Its laxness suited the Basques well, allowing them to retain their traditional laws and leadership. Romanisation

6136-431: The best documented of which were the battles of Toulouse , Araceli , and Turiasum . Just about the same period, in 449–51, the Suevi under their king Rechiar ravaged the territories of the Vascones, probably looting their way through the region on their way back home from Toulouse. Settlements were clearly damaged after the raids and, while Calahorra and Pamplona survived, Iruña (Veleia) seems to have been abandoned as

6240-441: The coalition Nafarroa Bai —'Yes to Navarre'—along with Aralar and Batzarre , but a split within the coalition led to its revamp as Geroa Bai . In terms of ideology, by November 2016 the Basque Nationalist Party shifted its rhetoric to make the autonomous community of Euskadi the subject of the Basque nation. The EAJ-PNV called for: Note: The National Council of the Basque Nationalist Party ( Euzkadi-Buru-Batzar )

6344-500: The consensus view: In 2015, a new scientific study of Basque DNA was published which seems to indicate that Basques are descendants of Neolithic farmers who mixed with local hunters before becoming genetically isolated from the rest of Europe for millennia. Juan Lizariturry from Uppsala University in Sweden analysed genetic material from eight Stone Age human skeletons found in El Portalón Cavern in Atapuerca , northern Spain. These individuals lived between 3,500 and 5,500 years ago, after

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6448-441: The death of Hydatius and the events accounted for in the 580s is the appearance of the Basques as a "mountain roaming people", most of the times depicted as posing a threat to urban life. The Franks displaced the Visigoths from Aquitaine in 507, placing the Basques between the two warring kingdoms. In 581 or thereabouts both Franks and Visigoths attacked Vasconia ( Wasconia in Gregory of Tours ), but neither with success. In 587

6552-451: The dolmens of the Mediterranean basin which show a preference for corridors, in the Atlantic area they are invariably simple chambers. Use of copper and gold, and then other metals, did not begin in the Basque Country until c. 2500 BCE. With the arrival of metal working, the first urban settlements made their appearance. One of the most notable towns on account of its size and continuity was La Hoya in southern Álava, which may have served as

6656-409: The effective continuity of the Community Fund. The left-wing Basque nationalists cite in that respect the mismanagement and failure of Caja Navarra in Navarre, one that refused to join a merger of Basque-Navarrese savings banks in the 2000s. History of the Basque people#Late Modern history The Basques ( Basque : Euskaldunak ) are an indigenous ethno-linguistic group mainly inhabiting

6760-432: The evident etymological connection between Vascones and the modern denomination Basque , there is no direct proof that the Vascones were the modern Basques' ancestors or spoke the language that has evolved into modern Basque , although this is strongly suggested both by the historically consistent toponymy of the area and by a few personal names on tombstones dating from the Roman period. Three different peoples inhabited

6864-448: The fact that both Arzalluz and Garaikoetxea have gone into political retirement), both parties agreed to form an electoral coalition in a number of local elections as a means to maximise the nationalist votes, which eventually led to reunite both candidatures in a joint list again for the regional governments of Navarra and the Basque Autonomous Community in 1998. Thus, EA has participated in several EAJ-PNV-led Basque governments, including

6968-404: The fall of the Empire, the struggle against Rome's Visigoth allies continued. Despite early Christian testimonies and institutional organization, Basque Christianization was slow. The Basques hung onto their own pagan religion and beliefs (later transfigured into mythology ), and were Christianized at a par with the Germanic peoples hostile to Carolingian expansion (8th-9th century), such as

7072-497: The first elections held in the Basque Autonomous Community , once Navarre was left out. In the transition years after Franco's death in 1975, Xabier Arzallus came to prominence, who masterminded the so-called "Spirit of Arriaga" to accommodate the party to the new Spanish democracy. Despite some internal tensions, the former priest and Jesuit came up reinforced and was chosen undisputed party leader. The EAJ-PNV found its main and strongest support base in Biscay, while in Navarre EAJ-PNV

7176-409: The hosts of Frankish king Pippin crossed the Loire, attacked Bourges and Clermont defended by the Basques and ransacked Aquitaine. After several military setbacks, the Basques pledged submission to Pippin on the river Garonne ( Fronsac , c. 769). At this time (7-8th centuries), Vasconia is sometimes mentioned as stretching from the lands of Cantabria in the south-west all the way to the river Loire in

7280-429: The ineffective political action of the EAJ-PNV, largely daunted by post-war repression and scattered in exile. In addition, the new generation resented an attempt of the EAJ-PNV to pull the strings of their movement and PNV's youth wing Euzko Gaztedi (EGI), with whom they had merged in the mid-1950s, as well as showing a more modern stance, stressing for one the language as the centre of Basqueness , instead of race. In

7384-399: The land between bishops and abbots and began to baptize the pagan Basques of this region. Muslim accounts from the period of the Umayyad conquest of Hispania and beginning of 9th century identify the Basques as magi or 'pagan wizards', they were not considered 'people of the Book' (Christians). Still in 816, Muslim chroniclers attest not far from Pamplona a so-called 'Saltan', "knight of

7488-722: The large Basque exiles' network at the service of the Allied side and collaborated with the US Secretary of State and the CIA during the Cold War to fight Communism in Spanish America. When the United States decided to back Franco in 1952, Aguirre went to France where the Basque Government in exile was established. Also, he learned there that the pro-Nazi French government of Vichy confiscated

7592-614: The late Urnfield culture followed the Ebro upstream as far as the southern fringes of the Basque Country, leading to the incorporation of the Hallstatt culture ; this corresponds to the beginning of Indo-European, notably Celtic influence in the region. In the Basque Country, settlements now appear mainly at points of difficult access, probably for defensive reasons, and had elaborate defense systems. During this phase, agriculture seemingly became more important than animal husbandry . It may be during this period that new megalithic structures,

7696-538: The main European autosomal components , PC 5, was shown to be a typically Basque trait believed to have receded owing to the migration of Eastern peoples during the Neolithic and Metal Ages . X chromosome microsatellites also seem to point to Basques being the most direct descendants of prehistoric Western Europeans, having the highest percent of "Western European genes" but found also at high levels among neighbor populations, as they are also direct descendants of

7800-533: The new status-quo, with special attention to a new Statute. The EAJ-PNV's results in the 1977 and 1978 elections confirmed PNV's central position in Basque politics. While the EAJ-PNV advocated for abstention in the referendum on the Spanish Constitution for its lack of Basque input, the party supported the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country , approved in December 1978, and paved the way to its success in

7904-477: The north pointing to a not preponderant but clearly significant Basque presence in Aquitaine (i.e. between Garonne and Loire). Vasconia's newly suppressed resistance cleared the way for the Frankish army to deal with Charlemagne 's interests in the Spanish marches (siege of Zaragoza). After pulling down the walls of Pamplona, Roland's rear guard headed north and were defeated in the first Battle of Roncevaux (778) by

8008-596: The organizational structure of the savings banks and the liberalization of their capital share, exposing them to the domestic and international financial market. The General Assembly, united in session held on 23 October 2014, decided the conversion of Kutxa into a bank foundation and passed new statutes regulating the institution. The decision supported by the representatives of political parties PNV, PSE, PP, union CCOO, and association Pixkanaka, followed like decisions made by their peer financial institutions in Álava (Vital Kutxa) and Biscay (BBK). A proposal to convert Kutxa into

8112-411: The pagans", certainly a distorted name maybe referring to Zaldun, literally in Basque "Knight". Later Muslim historians cite Navarrese leaders of the early 9th century (but not only them) as holding onto polytheist religious practices and criticize the Banu Qasi for allying with them. In 409, Vandals , Alans , and Suevi forced their way into Hispania through the western Pyrenees, chased closely by

8216-635: The party set up stands to sell drinks and their more typical products, all brightened up by traditional music. Dances and traditional sports are also enjoyed. The celebration takes place in an open air arena (currently in Foronda , Álava ), and lasts until nightfall. In the European Parliament , the Basque Nationalist Party sits in the Renew Europe group with one MEP. In the European Committee of

8320-532: The party spurred the formation of a splinter group with a stronghold in Gipuzkoa , which in turn led to a new party in 1987, when dissenters from the EAJ-PNV formed the Basque Solidarity ("Eusko Alkartasuna", EA) party. Carlos Garaikoetxea was then elected as the first president of the rival party. The split from the EAJ-PNV was mainly based on: Afterwards, some ideological differences also came out. EA adopted

8424-476: The powerful manufacturing industry of Bilbao, thinking that they had the responsibility to secure the prosperity of their people in the future. This decision allowed the occupying rebel forces to use the industrial power of Bilbao in their war effort against the rest of Republic-aligned Spain. In July 1937, having lost all Basque territory, the Basque Army retreated toward Santander . With no territory or help from

8528-453: The rebel forces. Jose Antonio Aguirre stated that "the German planes bombed us with a brutality that had never been seen before for two and a half hours." Pablo Picasso made a painting in remembrance of the massacre named after the city that year. When Bilbao, the most populated city in the Basque Country, was taken by Franco's troops, the Basque nationalists decided to not destroy or sabotage

8632-573: The rebel troops approached Biscay, the Carlist press in Pamplona even called for the extermination of Basque nationalists. José Antonio Aguirre , the party leader, became in October 1936 the first lehendakari (Basque president) of the wartime multipartite Basque Government , ruling the unconquered parts of Biscay and Gipuzkoa. In April 1937, the city of Gernika was bombed by German airplanes covertly aiding

8736-420: The remains suggests the possibility of some Mediterranean colonisation here. A comparable situation is found in Aquitaine, where settlers may have arrived via the Garonne . In the second half of the 4th millennium BC, Megalithic culture appeared throughout the area. Burials become collective (possibly implying families or clans) and the dolmen predominates, while caves are also employed in some places. Unlike

8840-633: The republic, democracy, and anti-fascism in the ensuing Spanish Civil War and were key in balancing those provinces to the Republican side. In the territory seized by the rebels, PNV members faced tough times. During the military uprising in Navarre, the Basque nationalist mayor of Estella-Lizarra , Fortunato Aguirre, was arrested by the Spanish nationalist rebels (18 July 1936), and killed in September. Some Basque nationalists could flee north to Basque areas loyal to

8944-478: The right-wing rebels insisted on a unified Spain, making them hostile to nationalist movements in regions such as the Basque Country. Furthermore, the Basque Nationalist Party was also anti-Fascist , while Fascists constituted a large part of the rebellion. Ultimately, the republican government was able to secure the allegiance of the Basque Nationalist Party with the promise to pass a Basque Autonomy Statute. The Biscayan and Gipuzkoan branches declared support for

9048-650: The same people. However, mitochondrial DNA have cast doubts over this theory. Along the same lines, a genetic study carried out in 2001 revealed that the Y-chromosome of Celtic populations do not differ statistically from the Basques, establishing a link between them and such populations as the Irish and the Welsh . The following alternative theories about the prehistoric origins of the Basques have all had adherents at some time but are rejected by many scholars and do not represent

9152-621: The territories comprising the Basque Country : the Basque Autonomous Community and Navarre in Spain , and in the French Basque Country . It also has delegations in dozens of foreign nations, specifically those with a major presence of Basque immigrants . The EAJ-PNV was founded by Sabino Arana in 1895, which makes it the second oldest extant political party in Spain , after the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party . The EAJ-PNV

9256-613: The territory of the present Basque Autonomous Community : the Varduli , Caristii and Autrigones . Historical sources do not state whether these tribes were related to the Vascones , the Aquitani or the Celts . The area where a Basque-related language is best attested from an early period is Gascony in France, to the north of the present-day Basque region, whose ancient inhabitants, the Aquitani , spoke

9360-650: The territory of their former allies. In 844, the Vikings sailed up the Garonne to Bordeaux and Toulouse and raided the countryside on either bank of the river, killing the Duke of the Basques Sigwinum II (recorded as Sihiminum too, maybe Semeno) in Bordeaux. They took over Bayonne, and attacked Pamplona (859), even taking the king Garcia prisoner, only released in exchange for a hefty ransom. They were to be overcome only in 982 by

9464-715: The time of Odo the Great , but the Umayyad invasion of 711, at which time the Visigoth Roderic was fighting the Basques in Pamplona, and the rise of the Carolingian dynasty posed new threats for this state, eventually spurring its downfall and breakup. Vasconia's submission to the Franks after Odo's death in 735 was interrupted by frequent outbreaks of resistance, led by the latter's son Hunald (735–744) and grandson Waifer (+768). In 762,

9568-461: The traditional laws of the Basque provinces , observed by the kings of Castile, and later Spain, until the Carlist Wars . The motto of Basque Carlists was Dios, patria, fueros, rey ("God, Country, Fueros, King "). Basque nationalism evolved out of Carlism, eventually supplanting it in much of the Basque Country. Jeltzale in the party's Basque-language name Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea

9672-636: The transformation of the institution. The Basque branch of the Socialists has not opposed the move, while the Basque Nationalist Party has seen no legal option out, begrudgingly accepting a conversion of Kutxa into a bank foundation. Meanwhile, EH Bildu , the leading political force in Gipuzkoa has bitterly criticized the new course of Kutxa on the grounds that the re-foundation of the institution releases internal control organs, and calls into question

9776-582: The transition to farming in southwest Europe. The results show that these early Iberian farmers are the closest ancestors to present-day Basques. The official findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . "Our results show that the Basques trace their ancestry to early farming groups from Iberia, which contradicts previous views of them being

9880-460: The various political organizations, including the EAJ-PNV, EAE-ANV, and Jagi-Jagi . The autonomous government maintained remarkable order behind the lines in Biscay and western Gipuzkoa, and managed the coordination and provision of military resistance. Upon occupation of territories loyal to the Republic, the rebel forces focused repression on leftists, but Basque nationalists were also targeted, facing prison, humiliation, and death in some cases. As

9984-517: The wake of Basque rebellions north of the Pyrenees. In the west fringes of Basque territory, Álava arose first in history attacked by Asturian and Cordovan hosts and comprising a blur territory previously held by the Duchy of Cantabria (current Cantabria, Biscay, Álava, La Rioja and Burgos). After the battle, Enecco Arista (Basque Eneko Aritza , i.e. Eneko the Oak ), re-asserted his power in Pamplona c. 824,

10088-478: The ‘’Caja de Ahorros y Monte de Piedad Municipal de San Sebastián’’ was founded in the city of San Sebastián with a view to providing credit for business. In 1896 the ‘’Caja de Ahorros Provincial de Guipúzcoa’’ followed. In 1990 both entities merged into a single savings bank, hereafter known by the commercial name of Kutxa . In 2006 it had 128 offices in Gipuzkoa, where it was the first financial entity, and some other 145 offices out of this territory. It then commenced

10192-564: Was created in 1911. Therefore, Sabino Arana and Ángel Zabala were only presidents of the Regional Council of Biscay ( Bizkai-Buru-Batzar ) JeL ( Jaun-Goikua eta Lagi-zaŕa , "God and the Old Laws" in Arana's purist Biscayan Basque , Jaungoikoa eta Lege-zaharra or Jaungoikoa eta Foruak in Standard Basque) is the motto of the party. The "old laws" referred to are the fueros ,

10296-551: Was exiled in Belgium when Hitler 's forces invaded it, thus beginning his long clandestine journey to reach the United States. With a false identity, he travelled to Berlin, and then on to Sweden with the help of a Panamanian ambassador. He fled Europe for Latin America, where in Uruguay he re-assumed his real identity and was given a visa to the United States. He travelled to New York, where he

10400-483: Was founded in 1895 by Sabino de Arana Goiri as a Catholic and conservative political party agitating for political independence for the province of Biscay and the defence of Basque traditional culture, language , and racial purity. In fact, in its early years, party membership was restricted to those who could prove pure Basque ancestry by having eight Basque surnames. By 1897, the party sought independence not only for Biscay but for all seven provinces comprising

10504-474: Was limited on the lands of the current Basque Country closer to the Atlantic, while it was more intense on the Mediterranean basin . The survival of the separate Basque language has often been attributed to the fact that Basque Country was little developed by the Romans. There was a significant Roman presence in the garrison of Pompaelo, a city south of the Pyrenees founded by and named after Pompey. Conquest of

10608-630: Was next to non-existent. Carlos Garaikoetxea spearheaded the new autonomous government after being elected with 38.8% of the votes and during this first term the Basque Nationalist Party held office without outside support. During this period, the EAJ-PNV's challenges were closely associated to its position in the Basque Government: defense of the Statute, devolution of powers from Madrid, discrediting of political violence, restructuring of manufacturing industry steeped in crisis. As of 1985, tensions inside

10712-477: Was taken under the protection of American Basques as a professor at Columbia University . The president of the Basque Government in exile was always a EAJ-PNV member. Additionally, the sole Spanish representative in the United Nations was the Basque appointee Jesús de Galíndez , until his murder in an obscure episode regarding his PhD Thesis about Dominican Republic's dictator Trujillo. He also decided to put

10816-502: Was well aware of the existence of the Vasconias, but does not identify the Bagaudae rebels as Basque. While the Visigoths seem to have claimed the Basque territory from an early date, the chronicles point to their failure to subdue it, punctuated only by sporadic military successes. The years between 435 and 450 saw a succession of confrontations between the Bagaudae and Romano-Gothic troops,

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