After the government falsely accused ETA of carrying out the 2004 Madrid train bombings , the conservative government lost the elections in favour of the Socialist Workers ' Party , and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero became the new president of Spain . One of Zapatero 's first actions was to engage in new peace talks with ETA . In mid-2006 , the organisation declared a ceasefire , and conversations between Batasuna , ETA and the Basque and Spanish governments started . Despite the claims of peace talks ending in December , when ETA broke the truce with a massive car bomb at the Madrid-Barajas Airport , a new round of conversations took place on May 2007 . ETA officially ended the ceasefire in 2007 , and resumed its attacks around Spain . From that moment on , the Spanish government and police intensified their struggle both against ETA and the Abertzale left . Hundreds of members of the armed organisation were arrested since the end of the truce , with four of its leaders being arrested in less than one year . Meanwhile , the Spanish authorities banned more political parties such as Basque Nationalist Action , Communist Party of the Basque Homelands or Demokrazia Hiru Milioi . Youth organisations such as Segi were banned , while members of trade unions , such as Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak were arrested . In 2008 , Falange y Tradición , a new Spanish far-right nationalist group appeared , carrying out dozens of attacks in the Basque Country . The organisation was dismantled in 2009
2004 Madrid train bombings
2004 Madrid train bombings
Basque conflict