Vitoria, Spain - The Basque region's expected new Prime Minister Patxi Lopez - the first to defend its unity with Spain - on Tuesday vowed to spare no efforts in fighting the militant separatist group ETA. The new Basque government will be "on the front line in the fight against terrorism," Lopez, 49, told the regional parliament during a historic session which was due to elect him prime minister.
The region of 2.2 million residents had been governed by the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) since it was granted a far-reaching autonomy three decades ago.
The PNV has currents favourable to independence, and Lopez will be the first Basque premier clearly favouring the region's unity with Spain.
The PNV won the March 1 regional elections.
But Lopez, who heads the Basque branch of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist Party, was expected to be elected prime minister with the backing of the conservative People's Party (PP).
The Socialists and PP are at odds on the national level, but joined forces to fight separatist potential in the Basque region.
Lopez, who gave his speech partly in the Basque language, expressed satisfaction that parties linked to ETA had been excluded by law from the 75-member regional parliament.
He pledged to unite the Basques, about half of whom vote for nationalist parties, and who were divided over outgoing prime minister Juan Jose Ibarretxe's plans to stage a regional vote on self-determination.
Violent separatism would be isolated socially and excluded from the media, while the Basque region would assume full self-government within the limits set by its current autonomy status, Lopez said.
Lopez was scheduled to be elected in the evening after a parliamentary debate.
Security had been stepped up ahead of the parliamentary session for fear of attacks by ETA, which said it regards the new Basque government as a "priority target."
A car bombing planned to coincide with the parliamentary session was foiled when police captured ETA's military leader in France recently.
ETA's shrinking support has run parallel with its military decline, with Spanish and French police constantly arresting members of the group.
ETA, which has killed more than 800 people since 1968 to seek a Basque state created out of northern Spain and southern France, has been listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States.
The PNV, which remains the biggest party, sees Lopez' taking office as almost a Spanish coup d'etat, with Ibarretxe describing his party as the "natural leader" in the region.
Lopez' term in office was likely to be "short and full of difficulties," historian Antoni Segura said.
