Autodeterminaziorako Bilgunea (AuB) was founded on February 13th, 2003. Prominent representatives from the Basque left-wing pro independence movement, as well as those from other political backgrounds, promised to advance a new political initiative based on two principles: to demand the right of the Basque people to make decisions regarding their future and supporting a democratic solution to the Basque political conflict.

During the first months of its existence, AuB has had an important impact on political life both as a result of the political initiatives they have put forward as well as the harassment that it has been subjected to by the Spanish State.



16/02/2003 - The new political initiative Autodeterminaziorako Bilgunea (AuB) is presented in Iruñea. In so doing, the calling made fifteen days earlier in the Miramar Palace, Donostia, to set up a new political initiative, that is left wing and pro independence, becomes a reality. There, the manifesto "Asko gara. Bil gaitezen!-We are many. Let's unite! is made public.

15/03/03 - 15,000 attend the first national gathering of AuB, which took the form of a demonstration against the various attacks against Euskal Herria. The demonstration culminated a day in which AuB announced that they would put forward candidates for the elections to the Parliament of Nafarroa and to the Juntas Generales* in Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa to be held on May 25th 2003.

23/03/03 - Another national demonstration in Bilbo, in which thousands of citizens display banners with "Euskal Herria aurrera" "Herrien aurkako gerrarik ez" ("forward Euskal Herria" "no to the war against the people") written on them.

24/03/2003 - The conservative Spanish daily newspaper "El Mundo" announces the intention of the Spanish Public Prosecutor to impede the possibility of AuB, and the electoral platforms created in the towns and cities of Araba, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Nafarroa, presenting candidates in the elections.

18/04/03 - AuB announces that 80,000 citizens have presented themselves in notary's offices and town halls to support, through their signatures, the petition that the new political initiative be present in the May elections. In record time of one week AuB managed to fulfil the requirements laid down in Spanish legislation to be able to participate in these elections.

20/04/2003 - 15,000 people come together in Iruñea in the Aberri Eguna celebration organised by AuB.

26/04/2003 - On this symbolic day for Basque people, the 66th anniversary of the bombing of Gernika by the Nazi airforce, an ally of the Franco dictatorship, AuB presents its "10 reflections on the Basque political conflict".

29/04/2003 - The State Public Prosecutor announces a collective action against AuB candidates and those from the local platforms.

30/04/2003 - The highest authority in electoral matters, the electoral juntas, approve the almost 250 local candidates and those of AuB put forward for the elections on May 25th.

3/05/2003 - AuB holds an assembly in Donostia, in which more than 700 of those on the list contested by the department of Public Prosecution, decide to participate with their own ballot papers in the elections and they call for a day of mobilisations on Friday May 9th, coinciding with the beginning of the electoral campaign. Early in the night the decision of the Spanish Supreme Court confirms that 241 popular candidates may not contest the May elections

5/05/2003 - AuB meet with various representatives of political formations. They request them to ensure that whatever democratic choices are made in the ballot boxes on May 25th be respected, ignoring the efforts of the State who will consider AuB's ballot papers to be null.

6/05/2003 - Lawyers for the popular electoral platforms and for AuB present an appeal to the Constitutional Court against the annulment of the candidature , but point out that, in the most likely case that that Court rules against their interests, they will take the case to Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. They will argue that the Spanish State violates the Right to political representation in Euskal Herria.

10/05/2003 - Tens of thousands marched through the streets of the Basque city of Bilbao in peaceful protest at Madrid's repression, which threatens to disenfranchise the 20 percent of the local electorate that support Batasuna in four Basque territories under Spanish jurisdiction. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's government has said Basque voters may select any party they chose, except Batasuna.

(*) Juntas generales: representative institutions of the different provinces, a sort of provincial parliament. They stem from the old foral system, which for centuries was the system used by the Basques to govern themselves. At present their powers have been greatly reduced. They decide on matters such as territorial regulations and the management of some taxes.