▁was ▁refused ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁On ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁E TA ▁announced ▁a ▁one - week ▁ce ase fire ▁and ▁tried ▁to ▁eng age ▁peace ▁tal ks ▁with ▁the ▁government , ▁a ▁proposal ▁that ▁was ▁once ▁again ▁rejected ▁by ▁the ▁new ▁conserv ative ▁government . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁young ▁coun c ill or ▁Miguel ▁Áng el ▁Blan co ▁was ▁kid n apped ▁and ▁killed ▁by ▁the ▁organisation . ▁The ▁killing ▁produced ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁re jection ▁by ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Bas que ▁soci eties , ▁massive ▁demonstr ations ▁and ▁a ▁loss ▁of ▁sympath is ers , ▁with ▁even ▁some ▁E TA ▁prisoners ▁and ▁members ▁of ▁Her ri ▁Bat as una ▁condem ning ▁the ▁killing . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁government ▁arrested ▁ 2 3 ▁leaders ▁of ▁Her ri ▁Bat as una ▁for ▁alleg edly ▁collabor ating ▁with ▁E TA . ▁After ▁the ▁arrest , ▁the ▁government ▁started ▁to ▁investigate ▁Her ri ▁Bat as una ' s ▁t ies ▁with ▁E TA , ▁and ▁the ▁coal ition ▁changed ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁E us kal ▁Her rit ar rok , ▁with ▁Arn al do ▁O te gi ▁as ▁their ▁leader . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁Bas que ▁elections , ▁the ▁A bert z ale ▁left ▁got ▁its ▁best ▁results ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁and ▁E us kal ▁Her rit ar rok ▁became ▁the ▁third ▁main ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁Bas que ▁Country . ▁This ▁increase ▁of ▁support ▁was