Statute of Catalonia of 1919

The Statute of Catalonia of 1919[1] started in a pro-autonomist environment and was approved by the Assembly of the Commonwealth of Catalonia in Barcelona, on 24 January 1919 with the support of several Catalan parties: The Partit Català Republicà (Republican Catalan Party) took this Statute as its main concern, Alejandro Lerroux's radicals endorsed it, Francesc Cambó and his party (Lliga Regionalista) asked for a pragmatic vision. Liberals and Conservatives (who were in the Spanish government) went against central party policy, and the Traditionalists remembered his defense of autonomy with weapons. Francesc Macià -speaking as a supporter of independence- said that this was a short Statute, but the best one that could be achieved. Finally, Largo Caballero, speaking as a Socialist, stated that Spanish workers believed that Catalan Autonomy was the first step in the regeneration of Spain.

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

This project was sent to the Spanish Government for its approval on 28 January 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 and the Spanish government's ones, secondly, and, finally, the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera stopped its progression.[2]