“Parisians, go home, you are the virus of the Basque country,” giant posters pasted on the walls of houses in the village of Urrugne in March read. After playing second fiddle for decades to the Cote d’Azur in the glamour stakes, the Basque country is having a moment. No-one was injured in the explosions, several of which were claimed by French Basque separatist group Irrintzi, under the slogan “the Basque country is not for sale”. Between 2007 and 2017 the number of second homes in the French Basque country increased by 19 percent, according to the regional authority. The figures show 54,000 homes lying empty, of which 42,000 are second homes.

Source: The Local June 24, 2021 11:15 UTC