Leading European media have reported the declaration made by pro-independence Basque leader Arnaldo Otegi, in which the EH Bildu party coordinator expressed his "sorrow and pain" towards the victims of the ETA terrorist group. French, British and Swiss newspapers informed their readers of the statement made by the leader, marking ten years since ETA abandoned its armed struggle.
French daily Libération
The left-leaning newspaper Libération highlighted the clarity of Otegi's message, speaking of the "unambiguous request for forgiveness" of the leaders of the "Basque separatist" political groups in the following headline: "In Spain: unambiguous apology by Basque separatists to all the victims of ETA".
The French newspaper stressed Otegi's quote in which he affirms that "we do not forget any of them", referring to the victims of ETA. It also recalled the number of deaths associated with the Basque group: a total of 850 victims. Accompanying the article is an image of the leader of the EH Bildu in a public appearance.
French newspaper Le Figaro
For its part, the conservative daily Le Figaro also refers to the "Basque separatists" in its headline highlighting that "they recognize the 'pain' caused to the victims of ETA." The article is illustrated with an image of the Basque police force, the Ertzaintza, at a protest organized by the families of ETA victims in September.
British daily The Guardian
The Guardian focuses its headline on Arnaldo Otegi's quote that "ETA's deaths should never have happened" and also quotes the declaration's assertion that "they should have laid down their arms long before they did." The UK newspaper also stresses that the Basque pro-independence parties say they “will never forget the victims of terrorist violence” and it reviews the trajectory of coordinator Otegi and his role in the organization.
Switzerland's Le Matin
The Swiss newspaper Le Matin frames its headline the same way as Le Figaro: "Basque separatists recognize the pain caused to all victims of ETA." The media stresses that "nothing they can say can erase the damage caused to the 850 dead."
In addition to providing contextual data on the conflict, the Swiss daily also includes the political reactions of some parties, such as the tweet from the Spanish Socialists acknowledging Otegi's gesture. They also mention the accusation of "terrorist" against Otegi, by Spanish opposition leader Pablo Casado. The PP leader was strongly critical of the EH Bildu general coordinator. Two contrasting responses that the newspaper highlights to exemplify that "the issue remains very sensitive in Spain."
Main image: Arnaldo Otegi in an appearance / Europa Press