Generalitat

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Generalitat (literally 'Generalty') is the name of two regional systems of government of the present Spanish autonomous communities: the one of Catalonia and the other of Land of Valencia. The term is also used for the government of the semi-autonomous comarca of Val d'Aran, the Generalitat a l'Aran.

Generalitat refers to all three branches of government, not simply the executive (government). The Catalonian executive, officially, is the "Government of the Generalitat of Catalonia" (el Govern de la Generalitat de Catalunya: cf. Government of the Kingdom of Spain, el Gobierno del Reino de España), while those of the Valencian community and the Val d'Aran are known as the "Council of the Valencian Generalitat" (Consell de la Generalitat Valenciana) and the Síndic respectively.

The name Generalitat dates back to the 13th century, to the medieval courts of the ancient Principality of Catalonia and the Kingdom of Valencia respectively. The term originally referred to a delegation of members of the Corts who oversaw the implementation of the decisions of the Corts between sessions, and is derived from the Catalan Diputació del General (de Catalunya). The Catalan and Valencian Generalitats were both abolished by the Decretos de Nueva Planta, signed by Philip V of Spain at the start of the eighteenth century, and only reinstated after the death of Franco in 1975. The Generalitat a l'Aran was legally created by the 2006 modification of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, although the Val d'Aran had also enjoyed considerable autonomy within Catalonia under the 1979 Statute of Autonomy.

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The Catalan Generalitat was reinstaured in 1932 and Francesc Macià became its first President, Lluis Companys the second and he, Josep Irla and Josep Tarradellas maintained the Catalan Generalitat in the exile while the Franco Regime ruled Spain for nearly 40 years. Josep Tarradellas came back to Catalonia as the President of the Generalitat after democracy was reinstaured in Spain en the late 70's.