Globalization and nationalism: the Basque National Liberation Movement’scase

Abstract

Since the 90’s, the globalization process and the Nation-state’s crisis have had a relevant impact on the evolution of social movements. The conflicts created by the globalization process explain also the strength of nationalist secessionist movements nowadays in Scotland, Catalonia... In that sense, the evolution of nationalist discourses has happened, standing in the new global movements’ idea of «radical democracy». This evolution has taken place also in the Basque National Liberation Movement, and topics like «class struggle» or «revolution» have been replaceded by «democracy» or «the right to decide». That is why we are in front of a new paradigm of basque radical nationalism that has gone from a revolutionary character to a democratic one, adopting the ideas of the postmaterialistic left and moving from negotiation to nation building phase.