Presentation for the ASEN Annual Conference, LSE, London, 2009

1. 1
Globalisation, Transnational
Social Movements and Radical
Nationalism in Basque Country
and Ireland
Adriano Cirulli
University of Rome “La Sapienza”

2. 2
Research hypotheses and question
Globalisation is reshaping socio-political
phenomena, including social and protest
movements: are emerging new transnational
social movements (No Global, Global
Justice Movement)
How the transformation of social movements
is influencing leftist radical nationalist
movements’ organisational structure,
strategy and ideological frames?

3. 3
Leftist Radical Nationalist Movements
Nationalism movements which since the
1960s, particularly in Europe, have
developed a leftist discourse and strategy,
mixing national liberation and revolutionary
socialism, often legitimating the use of
political violence within a Marxist-Leninist
and Anti-Imperialist ideological framework
(Brest Charter 1970s)

4. 4
Theoretical framework
• Globalisation represents a relevant transformative factor
for nationalism (Keating 2001; Guibernau 1996; Smith
1995; Brown 2000)
• Nationalism is a thin ideology, a political chameleon,
grounded on the claim of national self-government, its
ideological core, which needs to be thickened with
ideological secondary concepts in order to express itself
as a full political ideology and movement. (Freeden
1998)
• Social movements are multidimensional phenomena:
organisational structure; structure of political
opportunities; framing processes (della Porta and Diani
2006)

5. 5
Case studies
• Basque Radical Nationalism: Izquierda
Abertzale (Patriotic Left), emerged since
the 1950s around the armed group ETA
(Euskadi ta Askatasuna/Basque Country
and Freedom)
• Irish Republican Movement: Sinn Féin
and IRA

6. 6
Case studies: why?
• Both movements have been strongly
characterised - despite internal contradictions,
divides and conflicts -, by a synthesis of
nationalism and revolutionary socialism
• Both have been strongly influenced in their
ideological and strategic evolution by the
interaction with social and countercultural
movements
• Their social and political organisations have
been taking an active role within the Global
Justice Movement transnational network

7. 7
Global Justice Movement main features
(della Porta and Tarrow 2004)
Organisational
Structure
Network, flexible, reflexive,
open (vs the more vertical,
rigid, and closed structures of
former movements)
Frames Justice, Equality, Participative
Democracy (internal and
external)
Forms of Action Protest, Lobbying, Non-violent
civil disobedience

8. 8
Izquierda Abertzale: 1950s-1970s
Political
Opportunities
Structure
• Franco’s Regime (social, cultural and political
repression)
• Industrialisation (highly politicised labour conflicts)
• Anti-Colonial Movements (Cuba, Algeria, Vietnam)
• European Social and Countercultural Movements
(‘French May’, Existentialism)
Strategy Rising spiral Action-Repression-Action oriented towards
a mass insurgency against the regime
Org. Structure Centrality of ETA, considered as an army of national
liberation
Frames • Independentzia ta Sozialismoa (particularly after
1968)
• Anti-Colonialism
Forms of Action Armed struggle; mass protest

9. 9
Izquierda Abertzale: 1978-1992
Political
Opportunities
Structure
• Democratisation: Constitution and Autonomy (opening of
opportunities; competition for consensus within the nationalist
field)
• De-industrialisation
• Development of new social and countercultural movements
(Feminism, GLTB, Punk, Environmentalists, Squats, Free-Radios,
Antimilitarist)
Strategy Agglutination of all independentist and anti-systemic groups in
support of the negotiation ETA-Government (Alternativa KAS)
Org. Structure KAS (Koordinadora Abertzale Sozialista): Platform composed of
various organisations, under the factual leadership of ETA
(Marxist-Leninist structure)
Frames • Negotiation
• National Liberation and Social Transformation
Forms of Action •Armed struggle (emerging tensions)
• electoral participation on an abstentionist ticket (Herri Batasuna
coalition)
• Mass protest
• civil disobedience

10. 10
Izquierda Abertzale: 1990s-
Political
Opportunities
Structure
• Implementation of the Autonomous institutions
• End of the Cold War scenario
• Peaceful independence processes in eastern Europe / peace
process in Ireland
• Rising social criticism against political violence (also within the
abertzale movement)
• Illegalisation (since 2002)
• Transnational Social Movements
Strategy • Wide national front (with moderate nationalists);
• Two levels negotiation: between Basque social and political
actors/ ETA-State (Alternativa democratica 1995; Lizarra
Agreement 1998)
Org. Structure Network, plural, democratic, open, flexible (but with an implicit
control of ETA on abertzale social and political organisations)
Frames • Autodeterminazioa
• Participative democracy
• Identitarian Socialism
Forms of Action Armed struggle
Mass protest
Political negotiation

11. 11
Irish Republicanism: late 1960s-1970s
Political
Opportunities
Structure
• Ulster as ‘Orange’ State
• Failure of the IRA ‘Border campaign’
• NICRA: mass movements not openly nationalist
Strategy Armed pressure to reach British withdrawal
Org. Structure Centrality of IRA; Sinn Féin as transmission belt to raise
support for the armed group
Frames • ‘Brits Out’
• Reunification
• Anti-colonialism
• Socialism (not well defined; tensions between
‘traditional’ nationalist and a more socialist oriented
leadership)
Forms of Action Armed struggle; mass protest in support of the IRA
actions

12. 12
Irish Republicanism: 1980s
Political
Opportunities
Structure
• Ulsterisation/Criminalisation
• Hanger strike (involvement of a broader social base,
also in the Republic)
• Dialogue with the SDLP
Strategy Armed pressure to reach British withdrawal
Org. Structure Centrality of IRA, but with an increasing autonomy of
Sinn Féin leadership (G. Adams), and a more active
political role for the party
Frames • Self-determination
• Reunification and Independence
• Justice
Forms of Action • Armed struggle
• Electoral participation (‘Ballot box and Armalite’)

13. 13
Irish Republicanism: 1990s-
Political
Opportunities
Structure
• Peace process
• End of Cold War
• ‘Celtic Tiger’ (and new social inequalities in the
Republic)
• Transnational Social Movements
Strategy Reunification through consent
Org. Structure Centrality of Sinn Féin, political party representative of
the whole republican community
Frames • Equality
• Justice
• Participative democracy
• Sovereignty (critical engagement in Europe)
• Empowerment for the People
Forms of Action Institutional politics AND movement politics
(institutionalisation?)

14. 14
Conclusions
The transformation of social movements, and the emergence of the GJM, seems to
have just partially influenced radical leftist nationalist movements. It have
represented mainly a catalyser factor, accelerating trends already existing within
nationalist movements.
In the Basque case, the relationship with the GJM increased the relevance of
internal tensions regarding the maintenance of the ETA leadership on the
movement, and the debate on the armed strategy
In the Irish case, after the end of armed struggle, Sinn Féin has found in the GJM a
useful source for new ideological frames to reshape its identity and discourse.
However, the GJM impact is much less relevant on the organisational dimension,
as Sinn Féin is still and increasingly structured as a political party.