The Right to Self-determination and Basque Nationalism: A Polyvalent Debate

Literature on the right of self-determination has very often focused on a scholarly and theoretical debate on the legality and appropriateness of the said right. This article, on the other hand, examines the reasons adduced by political agents in favour of self-determination in the Basque Country. Far from a scholarly discussion, the political parties can appreciate a powerful instrumental component in the right to self-determination: rather than a right, they prefer to speak of democracy, and underline its worth insofar that it can help resolve the Basque political conflict. Led by this practical spirit, the parties alter their discourse to adapt to new social needs and conditions, although it could result in certain theoretical and practical contradictions.