Galician Statute of Autonomy (1936) - Ratification

Ratification

Between 17 and 19 December 1932, the final text was submitted to the vote. It obtained the support of 77 per cent of the Galician municipal representatives, counting for 84.7 per cent of the population. However, political instability postponed the ratification of the Statute by the Spanish government. Following the victory of the Frente Popular (Popular Front) in the February 1936 elections, the Galicianists could proceed again with their project. Yet, the fact that a number of members of the Partido Galeguista had joined the Frente Popular for the elections provoked internal tensions, namely from the right-wing members, who left the party. Nonetheless, they would still support the Statute and ask for a "yes" vote in the referendum to come.

The campaign for the Statute referendum was intense and, finally, in 28 June 1936, Galicians were called to general vote. The turnout was 74.56 per cent (a very high figure for that time), with 993,351 votes in favour and 6,161 against. On 15 July 1936 Gómez Román, secretary of the Partido Galeguista, and Castelao, member of the Spanish Parliament for the Partido Galeguista/Frente Popular, submitted the Galician Statute of Autonomy to the Spanish Parliament. However, the start of the Civil War delayed the process. The Republican Parliament, based in Catalonia because of the War, eventually discussed the Statute on 1 February 1938. The Statute was only officially passed in 1945 by a Republican parliamentary commission in exile, namely in Mexico. That is to say, it was a symbolic gesture since the Statute could never be implemented.