Pradales regrets that the Spanish state "missed this magnificent opportunity" to apologize for the bombing of Gernika

The President, Imanol Pradales, regrets that the Spanish State has allowed a "unique opportunity" to make a sincere acknowledgement of the damage caused to the victims of the 1937 Gernika bombing.

Pradales has made this criticism through a social media message following last Friday's tribute in Gernika, in which the President of the German Republic, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, made a gesture of responsibility for reparation and reconciliation and the King of Spain did not apologize.

According to the President, Steinmeier's visit to Gernika has been "an exercise in historical responsibility, an ethical and political commitment to peace, democracy and reconciliation." In his view, this gesture shows that "memory and reparation are obligations that are not prescribed," and he has therefore thanked the German president for his gesture.

He has recalled that 88 years have passed since the ashes of Gernika and 50 years since the death of Franco. It has been a long time, but Crucita Etxabe and Mari Carmen Aguirre, who were barely six years in the bombing, are still waiting for this sincere recognition of the damage caused; "Euskadi is sorry to have missed this magnificent opportunity," added the lehendakari.

Pradales has lamented that these victims "have spent their whole lives without forgiveness, without anyone acknowledging their horror and suffering," and has also denounced the "silence" that came after "hearing the regime born of that barbarism lie for decades." This lack of responsibility was maintained year after year, until 1996, when the German parliament began to take compensatory steps towards the people of Gernika.

Thus, the President has compared Spain's position with that of Germany, which has been "three decades" recognizing and repairing the damage caused. This commitment began when then-German President Roman Herzog wrote an official letter acknowledging the German state's responsibility for the action of German aircraft that helped the Franco army.

Pradales has explained that in order not to make this confession in Spain, it is alleged that the attack was the result of a military uprising and that the Spanish State had nothing to do with it. But he has stressed that Presidents Herzog and Steinmeier also have nothing to do with Hitler's Nazi regime, yet "both have accepted responsibility for reparation and reconciliation as the chief representative of the German State." That is precisely why he expects it from the Spanish State.

In this regard, the Lehendakari recalled that 15 days before the tribute he asked in the Basque Parliament "to show the highest representation of the State the same rank and vision as Presidents Herzog and Steinmeier", and so did the then mayor of Gernika, Eduardo Vallejo, who, having heard the reading of President Herzog's 1996 letter, stated that "a gesture from the Spanish State would be welcomed by the Basque people".

Pradales emphasizes that the aim is not "to share out guilt," but "moral and principled questions, historical responsibility, and commitment to democracy." He adds that "this is what is expected of a democratic state, no more and no less."