How much does separatism cost, Señor Iñárritu? Paid advocate of Armenia’s EU dream

Spanish Member of Parliament Jon Iñárritu has called on Brussels to support Armenia’s bold move towards EU membership and ensure that Yerevan does not face challenges alone. 

"The EU must support this bold step and ensure that Armenia doesn’t withstand the challenges alone,” Iñárritu made this statement on February 26, on the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide. He commented on the approval of the bill in its first reading, which initiates Armenia’s accession process to the EU.

According to Iñárritu's reasoning, Armenia has always belonged in Europe, both culturally and historically. "The EU must support Armenia to restore its worthy place in the European family," emphasized Iñárritu.

And practically every word he says is a lie. But before presenting the arguments that refute the statements of this character, I want to point out that he has long been a cheaply bought Armenian representative in the Spanish Parliament. I don’t know if he is paid monthly or separately for each pro-Armenian and anti-Azerbaijani statement, but he regularly propagates Armenian propaganda clichés, spreading falsehoods about the causes and consequences of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. 

Moreover, in December 2022, by the decree of Arayik Harutyunyan, the same individual who, along with other former leaders of the Karabakh junta, is on trial in Baku, Iñárritu was awarded the "Mkhitar Gosh" medal. Yes, the Spaniard visited the Karabakh separatists after the 44-day war. And, of course, he was overjoyed about it. So much so that he called it an honour to receive the medal from the hands of the Karabakh separatists and promised to "defend the right of Armenians to live in Artsakh—alongside the need for international recognition." After the one-day counter-terrorism operation in Karabakh, which fully restored Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, all these promises from Iñárritu sound particularly absurd.

But the fact of his not-so-free love for the Karabakh separatists, as they say, has been recorded in the protocol. And here it is worth noting that Iñárritu's affection for them is not accidental. After all, he is from the "Basque Country"—an autonomous community in northern Spain. By the way, there is a relatively small but very influential Armenian diaspora living there, as well as in Catalonia. So, the "Basque Country" and Catalonia, as is well known, have long and actively fought for independence from Spain. At one time, the "Ibarretxe Plan" was developed in the Basque Country. It was named after the leader of the local administration, Juan José Ibarretxe. The plan proposed the introduction of Basque citizenship, the creation of an independent judicial system, and embassies abroad. In this way, it was planned that the "Basque Country" would effectively obtain the status of an independent state, although it would formally declare itself a member of a free association with Spain. This plan was not fully implemented, but separatist sentiments in the "Basque Country" remain very strong.

Iñárritu is one of the supporters of such developments. Moreover, as the leader of the "Bildu" party, he is part of the coalition government. Yes, in order for Pedro Sánchez to become the Prime Minister of Spain, he had to enter into a coalition agreement with representatives of the Basque Country and Catalonia in the Spanish Parliament. This is the specific nature of Spanish domestic politics. But this does not negate, but rather explains, Iñárritu’s motives and actions. Like attracts like—separatist to separatist. And everything else, including the current statements of this gentleman, logically follows from this fact. 

The Spaniard lies about everything. Armenia has never been part of Europe. It does not, unlike Azerbaijan, play any role in solving any European issue. Azerbaijan, as is well known, plays an important role in ensuring European energy security. Armenia has never helped the EU in any way, and it will not in the future. At the same time, in the first 11 months of 2024, Armenia's trade with the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) not only grew significantly but also made up over 42% of the country's total foreign trade turnover. Trade with the EU, on the other hand, not only decreased but also accounts for a modest 7.5% of the total volume.

Here is proof of the primitive lies from Iñárritu, who essentially insulted Europe by claiming that it is close to a country whose second and third presidents were separatists. Europe has every right to feel insulted, especially since Robert Kocharyan is the author of the phrase about the "genetic incompatibility of Azerbaijanis and Armenians," and Serzh Sargsyan justified the Khojaly genocide by stating that, by committing it, Armenians proved their ability to kill innocent Azerbaijanis. So, according to Iñárritu, Europe has "cultural closeness" with a country where such fascist traditions reign? According to him, yes. But in reality, of course, this is not the case. It's just another pro-Armenian politician collecting his fee.