Sabino Arana's Vision: Founding Basque Nationalism in Bizkaia

Sabino Arana's Early Basque Nationalism

The text we analyze is a primary source. Regarding its form, it comprises the founding statutes of a nationalist social center, the first Batzoki of Bizkaia, making it a historical document. Its content addresses social, political, and cultural subjects. The author is Sabino Arana, often called the Father of Basque Nationalism. Intended for nationalists in Bilbao and, more broadly, throughout Bizkaia, the objective was to establish the rules of the first nationalist organization and summarize the main ideological tenets of its founder. This significant text was published in 1894 in Bilbao, the capital of Bizkaia.

Statutes of Euskaldunen Batzokija: Core Principles

The statutes of Euskaldunen Batzokija are presented in separate articles, outlining its foundational principles:

• Article 1: Origin of the Batzoki. This article outlines the Batzoki's origin as a leisure center for all members, aiming to foster unity among followers in Bizkaia.
• Article 2: Internal Organization. It details the internal organization of the Basque Nationalist Party, highlighting the Bizkai Buru Batzarra as its most important institution.
• Article 3: The Jaungoikoa Concept. This article introduces the Jaungoikoa concept, emphasizing the paramount importance of Catholicism. For all internal and external relations, Catholicism would be the sole religion of Bizkaia.

Historical Context: Rise of Basque Nationalism

To understand this document, we must analyze the emergence of nationalism, both within the Spanish state and specifically Basque nationalism. During the nineteenth century, the liberal state's attempts to centralize administration, abolish the Fueros, attack the Church, and implement disentailment laws led to direct conflict with the state and two civil wars. The abolition of the Fueros in 1876 was followed by profound economic and social changes. The entire social and economic structure of Bizkaia was shaken between 1870 and the early 1900s as it underwent a rapid industrial revolution.

The founder of the Basque Nationalist Party gathered these ideas and sentiments, articulating them as follows: Basques were a distinct people with a unique language, and they needed to regain their traditional fueros, which implied full sovereignty and was paramount to independence. Sabino Arana published his first book, Bizkaia por su Independencia, in 1892. He founded the Euskaldunen Batzokija in 1894, the Bizkai Buru Batzar in 1895, and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in 1895.

Legacy of Sabino Arana and the PNV

This document is crucial for understanding Sabino Arana's ideology. It concisely summarizes the most important principles of early Basque nationalism. Key tenets included religious fundamentalism and radical Carlism. Notably, it also expressed a rejection of immigrants. However, over time, these attitudes gradually diminished within nationalist ideology, leading to greater openness towards other social groups. The Party's positions evolved from Sabino Arana's more traditional and rural views to much more open stances, often clashing with his original principles.

Sabino Arana died in 1903, but the party he founded endured, achieving significant electoral success thereafter. Bizkaia consistently remained the territory where the PNV achieved its strongest electoral results.