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Euro 2008

617 views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  Finrod_HELLAS 
#1 ·
Hi guys, I was wondering what the reaction was in the basque country to Spain's Euro 2008 success. Did any1 watch the games/ cheer ?. Was there any celebrating the win. Or did they actually cheer for Germany . I suppose this quistion is based at our basque country based Members
 
#2 ·
Well I've got exactly the same question actually...

In Dutch press the only messages about it were many people in Spain celebrated the victory, except in Basque Country and Catalonia were it was less...

What actually worries me are things like this (World Cup 2006) for example, same one as here during the victory celebrations in Bilbao, here a clip from celebrations on the Plaza Moyua.
Also, you saw pictures like these, let's say a 'mix'...

On the other hand, of course many Spanish people live and work in Basque Country, so looking to that it's not weird...

On days like these I hate it I can't understand enough Spanish.

Personally I supported the Germans 100% because I dislike Spain and their national team. What makes it even worse is their best and decisive players were the Catalans, why they didn't follow Oleguer's example? :thmbdown:
 
#5 ·
mmm... starting for the last question, because not everyone thinks like Oleguer in Catalonia and not for it are less Catalans than him, just people with different ideas. And pretty much the same about the Basque Country.

At the end, the Catalan and Basque societies aren't a black or white thing. There are lots of different kind of grey in them... and the same goes for the Spanish society in general.

I am sure that some Basques and Catalans didn't want Spain to win and some others wanted them to win. What's a Basque or a Catalan anyway? I've always thought that they're the ones who live and work in these countries and it'd be a terrible path to walk to start to look at the place you were born or your parents or grandparents were born. Or don't we have to share the same country anyway?

For several reasons, many people have to look for a different life out of the place they were born. My father is Catalan, I was born in Barcelona, but for working reasons I ended up growing up in Alacant since I was a kid. Now it's me who had to come to Madrid to get the job I wanted to have. Like this, many people.

Going back to topic, the results of the elections show that the Basque society is somehow politcally divided in several parts. From the ultranationialists who still believe in killing people to achieve their goals (thankfully a sad minority) to the Spanish nationalists ultraconservatives, passing through a moderate nationalism or a social democrat party. And even inside of them, it's easy to see how several tendencies coexist or are EAJ-PNV and PSE a united block? Not really, right? It's not the same Ibarretxe and Imaz and it's not the same Redondo or Patxi Lopez.

So, personally, I think it'd be simplistic to reduce the feelings of the people to a black or white thing. I'm sure that even some people of EAJ-PNV didn't mind to see Spain winning since, after all, a Basque like Xabi Alonso was there. And if you look at the results of the last general elections you can see how a non nationalist party like PSOE winning in Euskadi, where they're unable to win the elections of Euskadi... which it shows that there're people who vote PNV or PSE depending on the moment, independently of their nationalist (or not) view of life.

Pretty much the same in Catalonia, where things are less divided in the nationalist talk... after all, an Andalusian immigrant that belongs to the Socialist Party is the president of Catalonia... with the support of the left independentism of ERC.

Basically, the idea is that I'm sure that things aren't that easy. Personally, as Catalan, I'm willing to see a Catalan NT in the Euro... but I'm happy for the triumph of the Spanish team, because many Catalans are part of it and, for me, Spain is not the flag or the united nation some want to sell me, but the people who I love. I belong to a Catalan family, my best friends are from Soria and Burgos (Castillian to the bone both), my gf is from Madrid. In this situation, how can't I be happy for Spain? Of course I am. But my Spain do not have to be others' Spain. Just as your view of Euskadi isn't the same view that others have of it. I won't tolerate others to impose me their ideas, but I'll respect the ones who do not think like me, as long as they do the same.

At the end, I just hate the ones who do not listen to anyone, but their own stomach. So I hate those who kill people to defend their ideas or those who want to ruin my life in the name of the nation, the traditions, the Catholicism or whatever stupid flag they raised. These people are the same with different flags, but the same shit in any case.

Thankfully for us and sadly for the ones who don't know shit about Euskadi and Catalonia, our society is rich in ideas, which should not exclude the others, but congregate in order to look for the best for all of us, the people, not the nations. Just my 2 cents.
 
#7 ·
i have friends in bilbao and they celebrate winning, not everyone in there wants spain to fail and the same with catalunya, understand this
 
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