The Minister of Development and Deputy Secretary General of PSOE, José Blanco, has been the first member of the Government to comment on the ETA ceasefire announcement, saying that there was ‘nothing positive’ in the statement.
José Blanco added that ETA has become very weak and needs to be beaten once and for all.
The Minister of Interior, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, also branded the announcement as ‘insufficient’, saying that the only way forward is through the permanent abandonment of weapons and violence.
Patxi López of the Lehendakari also called the announcement ‘insufficient’ and called for ETA to surrender their arms. Some see ETA’s announcement as a sort of ‘electoral truce’, seizing upon a political opportunity at a time when they are relatively weak.