Statute of Catalonia of 1919

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The Project of Statute of Catalonia of 1919 started in a pro-autonomist environment and it was approved by the Assembly of the Mancomunitat de Catalunya in Barcelona, the 24 January of 1919 with all the support of the Catalan parties: The Partit Català Republicà (Republican Catalan Party) took this Statute as its main concern, the Alejandro Lerroux's radicals endorsed it, Francesc Cambó and his party (Lliga Regionalista) asked for a pragmatic vision. Liberals and Conservatives (which were in the Spanish government) said that they omitted the party's discipline, and the Traditionalists remembered his defense of the autonomy with the weapons. Francesc Macià -speaking as Independentist- said that this was a short Statute, but the best one that could be achieved. Finally, Largo Caballero, speaking as Socialist, stated that the Spanish workers believed that Catalan Autonomy was the first step in the regeneration of Spain.

The January 26, this Statute was ratified in an Assembly celebrated at the Palau de la Música of Barcelona, which joined all the municipal representatives. 1,046 of 1,072 towns voted positively, as well as 2,099,218 of the 2,076,251 rolled citizens did. It also got the approvation of several civic entities and corporations such as the Centre Regionalista Andalús (Regionalist Center of Andalusia), the Football Club Barcelona, the Bloc Regionalista Castellà (Castillian Regionalist Crew, in Madrid) or the Club Sports Catalunya, in Mexico.

This project was sent to the Spanish Government for its approval the 28 January of 1919 with several Catalan deputies to defend it, but the Socio-political situation, which changed quickly due to several strikes in the Catalan field, first, the collision between Government of Catalonia's interests ans Spanish government's ones, second, and, finally, the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera stopped its progression.

[edit] The structure of the text

The structure of the Autonomy Statute of Catalonia, approved by the Assembly of the Mancomunitat is as follows:

  • Preliminar declaration
  • First title: About the land of Catalonia.
    It includes the article number 1.
  • Second title: About the catalan citizens.
    It includes the article number 2.
  • Third title: About the Government of Catalonia.
    It includes the articles number 3, 4 and 5.
  • Fourth title: The own and exclusive faculties of the regional power.
    It includes the articles number 6 and 7.
  • Fifth title: About the intervention of the regional power in general-law reguled stuff.
    It includes the articles number 8 and 9, 10 and 11.
  • Sixth title: About the regional finance.
    It includes the articles number 12 and 13.
  • Seventh title: About the regional Parliament.
    It includes the articles between number 16 and 29.
  • Eighth title: About the general governor and the power of the regional executive.
    It includes the articles between number 30 and 34.
  • And a final Temporary rules section.
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