Egin

   The title of this ultra-nationalist and left-wing newspaper comes from a Basque word meaning "to do". The paper has often been accused of acting as a mouthpiece for the terrorist organization ETA. It contains sections on regional politics, economic affairs, news from what it calls "the Spanish state", international news, sport and culture. The bulk of the material is written in Spanish, apart from the Basque titles of the sections, and a few items in Basque.

   During the transition to democracy after the ending of the Franco dictatorship in 1975, Egin tried to project itself as the voice of the abertzale (nationalist) left, and some of its editorials came out against violence as a means of achieving political freedom for the region. This commitment to peaceful means, however, was short-lived, since it soon became clear that ETA regarded itself as at war, not solely with Francoism, but with the Spanish state which, in their view, was unlawfully occupying and oppressing Euskadi.

   In the 1980s, the Herri Batasuna coalition, regarded as the political wing of ETA, gained control of the paper. The editorial line in the 1990s is determined by KAS (Koordinadora Abertzale Sozialista—Socialist Patriotic Co-ordinating Committee), the umbrella organization to which ETA belongs, and which many people, including certain nationalist leaders, suspect of singling out individuals who later become ETA targets. To be named in hostile terms in Egin is guaranteed to inspire fear. The presentation of ETA actions in the pages of Egin, even when these are indiscriminate, pay little attention to the consequences for the victims and their families, but instead emphasize that such operations are a response to state violence against the Basque people. Nevertheless, the authorities have not been able to take effective action against Egin, since courts have ultimately asserted the principle of freedom of expression.

   CARLOS ÁLVAREZ ARAGÜÉS