Democracy, Autonomy and European Integration
Demonstration in Barcelona on 11th September 1977, for the restoration of a Statute of Autonomy, Generalitat's institutions and the return of its president from exile.
When Franco died in 1975, Spain evolved into a democratic and autonomic state, which is defined in the Constitution of 1978. In 1977, the Generalitat of Catalonia was provisionally restored with its exiled president, Josep Tarradellas, who came back to Barcelona in October of that year. In 1979, The Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia was approved making possible the restoration of self-government. In 1986, Spain joined the European Union, where Catalonia proposed the recognition of the role of the regions as a driving force for economic development and social welfare. During the 1980-2003 period, which was characterised by autonomous development, the Covergència I Unió (CiU) coalition was in power, led by president Jordi Pujol. In 2003, Pujol was succeeded by Pasqual Maragall, with the tripartite government (PSC-ERC-ICV), which has promoted a reform in The Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia in order to adapt it to the new Catalan reality. This new statute will enter into effect on 9 August 2006. In November of that same year, José Montilla succeeded Maragall as president of the Generalitat of Catalonia.