Guernica, Spain - Socialist Patxi Lopez was Thursday sworn in as the Basque region's first pro-Spanish prime minister in a solemn ceremony seen as launching a new era in the region plagued by separatist violence. Lopez, 49, promised to respect the law under the traditional oak tree in Guernica, a town symbolizing Basque rights, which is also known for Pablo Picasso's painting on its bombing by Nazi German planes during Spain's 1936-39 civil war.
Lopez became the first Basque prime minister unequivocally favouring the region's belonging to Spain since it was granted a broad self-government following the 1975 death of dictator Francisco Franco.
For three decades, the northern region of 2.2 million residents had been governed by the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), which has separatist currents.
The PNV took the most votes in the March elections, but the socialists and conservatives struck a deal allowing Lopez to form a minority government.
In a sign that the times were changing, Lopez modified the traditional swearing-in ceremony, making a promise with his hand on a copy of the Basque autonomy statute, instead of swearing an oath on the Bible.
He also left out the words "humble before God," included in the traditional formula.
For the first time, victims of the militant Basque separatist group ETA were invited to the ceremony, following a pledge by Lopez that he would step up the fight against the group.
The Spanish government was represented by Deputy Prime Ministers Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega and Manuel Chaves.
Patxi Lopez heads the Basque branch of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist Party.
He was expected to involve the Basque police force more closely in combating ETA, to ban public tributes to the group, and to put Spanish on an equal footing with Basque as a language in schools.
Lopez has pledged to unite the Basques, who are divided between pro-Spanish and nationalist parties, but the PNV blasted his future government as unrepresentative and illegitimate.
ETA meanwhile announced that it regarded the new government as a "priority target."
Suspected ETA activists bombed two booster stations near the Basque region on Wednesday, causing some material damage but no injuries.
ETA has killed more than 820 people during its four decades of existence, including four in 2008.
The group has been seriously weakened by its declining support, and by the arrests of hundreds of its members in recent years.
Lopez said he expected to see the end of ETA during his term in office.
