Jose Antonio Ardanza has just retired after 13 years as Basque regional president.

ECONOMIST: Unmasking the Basque separatists

While Mr Ibarretxe struggled to learn the complex Basque language a necessity for anyone with ambitions in the party Mr Ardanza pulled him into the government in 1995, made him his deputy and set him to handle complex financial negotiations with the central government.

ECONOMIST: Charlemagne