Communist Movement of Euskadi (Basque: Euskadi Mugimendu Komunista, EMK; Spanish: Movimiento Comunista de Euskadi) was originally the branch of the Communist Movement (MC) in Basque Country and Navarre, Spain. EMK was previously known as ETA Berri, a splinter group of ETA. EMK separated itself from MC in 1983. In 1991 EMK merged with LKI (the Basque branch of LCR) and formed Zutik in Basque Country. In Navarre EMK took part in forming Batzarre. Some of its most prominent leaders were Patxi Iturrioz, Eugenio del Río, Rosa Olivares Txertudi, Milagros Rubio, Jesús Urra Bidaurre and the brothers Javier and Ignacio Álvarez Dorronsoro.[3]
EMK appeared after a split in ETA, after the workerist sector left the organization, founding ETA Berri. In 1969 ETA Berri changed its name to Komunistak-Movimiento Comunista Vasco, and adopted a maoist political line. In 1972 EMK finally adopted its last name: Euskadi Mugimendu Komunista.
1975-1977
EMK joined in 1975 the Democratic Convergence Platform, a coalition created by much of the opposition, led by the Socialist Party (PSOE), to fight against Francoist Spain. The EMK took an active role in all the riots and protests of the time and in the creation of the modern labor movement and tried, along with other organizations, the establishment of an organization that coordinated all the Basquerevolutionary left, which eventually was not totally possible, although the majority of the organizations[4] (including the EMK) created a common platform, the Euskal Erakunde Herritarra (EEH).
UNAI sent Jesús Urra to the commission of the Parliamentary Assembly in 1977, to prepare the autonomic agreement. However, in February 1978 EMK was dissatisfied with the autonomic process, considering it not enough. The same year the Euskadiko Ezkerra sent Juan María Bandrés (only Euskadiko Ezkerrasenator) to the Basque General Council (the preautonomic Basque government and the decision of Euskadiko Ezkerra of voting to the candidate of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) to the presidency of the council, precipitated the decision of EMK, that left Euskadiko Ezkerra, along with the OIC-EKE (which in 1979 would eventually be integrated in EMK). EMK finally decided to support abstention in the autonomic referendum of 1979. EMK also left UNAI the same year. In the Navarrese elections of the same year EMK failed to gain any seats in the Parliament of Navarre.
The 80's and the end of the ideological orthodoxy
On April 2, 1983 EMK became independent organizationally from the Communist Movement (MC), to explore new political spaces, which led the organization to support the coalition Auzolan, comprising Liga Komunista Iraultzailea (LKI), LAIA and Nueva Izquierda (Euskadiko Ezkerra split). After the electoral defeat of Auzolan, EMK began a joint campaign with the trotskyist formation LKI, adopting a pro-abertzale speech and asking several times to vote for HB, which has led some historians to believe that the party became a satellite of abertzale coalition.[5]
Their campaign posters were known for their humor and the use of pop references to criticize other parties.
[6][7][8]
In 1991, after several years of collaboration, EMK and LKI decided to merge, resulting in Zutik (in the autonomous community of the Basque Community) and Batzarre (Navarre).
^Leonisio Calvo, Rafael (2012). «Izquierda abertzale, de la heterogeneidad al monolitismo». III Congreso Internacional de Historia de Nuestro Tiempo. Logroño: Universidad de La Rioja. p. 385. ISBN978-84-695-5155-4.