The Special Regime for Catalan Provinces

The failed re-founding of the Mancomunitat

Authors

  • Alfons Aragoneses Universitat Pompeu Fabra
  • Jaume Claret Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18042/cepc/rep.193.09

Abstract

The death of Francisco Franco started a period of political uncertainty in Spain. The heirs of the regime needed to introduce reforms to maintain the power: they had to give an answer to the urgent political demands of that moment while keeping the political control of the situation in front of the democratic opposition. The regional question — the answer to the demands of decentralization and recognition of regional identities- was an important space to develop post-Francoist projects of decentralization. Catalonia, where projects of autonomy and decentralization had a long tradition and a strong popular support was a perfect place to implement these projects. That is the reason why Minister Manuel Fraga and his political proxies initiated a process aimed at creating an «Special Regime for the Catalan Provinces» that was actually a renewed version of the historical «Mancomunitat de Catalunya (1914.1925)». Fraga implicated himself and also important representatives of Catalan Francoism. The non-published documentation conserved by Mr. Juan Echevarría Puig, an active member of the Commission created by Fraga that worked in 1976 and 1977, allows us to know in depth this last reincarnation (failed but influential) of Francoist regionalism.

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Published

2021-09-29

How to Cite

Aragoneses, A., & Claret, J. (2021). The Special Regime for Catalan Provinces: The failed re-founding of the Mancomunitat. Revista De Estudios Políticos, (193), 291–318. https://doi.org/10.18042/cepc/rep.193.09

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