BASQUE FORM PARALLEL SOCIALIST PARTY

While the politicians were out on the hustings last week, a group of Basque intellectuals announced they intended to form a new party - the Basque Socialist Party - to counteract the Socialist government's policy of holding peace talks with the Basque terrorist group ETA, which many Basques do not agree with. The founders include two well known Basque philosophers - Carlos Martinez Gorriaran, an active member of the anti-ETA group "Basta Ya (Enough)", and Fernando Savater, a lifelong Socialist. The other founder member is Rosa Díez, the Socialist government's Euro-deputy, who is very critical of her party's attempts to make peace with ETA unless they group lays down its arms first. They said they hoped their parallel socialist party would have a nationwide coverage by the next general election in March 2008.