Independence movements

History of Galician autonomy and nationalism

From the never-enacted 1936 Statute of Autonomy to the 1980 referendum and 1981 Statute, the founding and shifting positions of the BNG, and the 2024 regional election.

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The never-enacted 1936 Statute

On 4 July 1936, Galician voters approved a draft Statute of Autonomy by an overwhelming margin: 993,351 votes (99.38%) in favour against 6,161 (0.62%) opposed, on a turnout of about 74.5%.[1] Some contemporaries, including supporters of the Statute, later described the lopsided result as showing signs of electoral irregularity.[2]

The Spanish Civil War broke out less than three weeks later, preventing the draft Statute from being submitted to the Spanish Cortes for final ratification; it never took effect.[3]

· Referendum or popular consultation

Galician Statute of Autonomy referendum, 1936

Voters overwhelmingly approved a draft Statute of Autonomy, but the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War prevented it from ever taking effect.

The 1980 referendum and the 1981 Statute

Galicia's current Statute of Autonomy was put to a referendum on 21 December 1980. Voters approved it by 78.77% (450,556 votes) to 21.23% (121,448 votes), but turnout was only 28.27% of the electorate, with abstention exceeding 80% in Lugo province — considerably lower than the Basque and Catalan autonomy referendums of the previous year.[4][5]

The Statute entered into force on 6 April 1981, signed by King Juan Carlos I and President of the Government Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo. It does not recognise a right of self-determination, and Galician nationalist parties at the time considered it more limited than the never-enacted 1936 Statute.[6][7]

The BNG: founding and shifting positions

The Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) was formally founded on 25–26 September 1982 at the Fronton Municipal in A Coruña, merging the Galician People's Union (UPG), the Galician National-Popular Assembly (AN-PG), the Galician Socialist Party (PSG) and independent activists.[8] Its founding principles included recognising that Galicia, as a nation, has the rights of self-determination and of exercising national sovereignty.[9]

From around 1990, as more moderate nationalist currents joined and gained influence, the BNG gradually de-emphasised explicit independence and self-determination language in favour of demands for further devolution.[10] Since around 2011–2012 it has readopted explicit support for independence and the creation of a Galician republic as a long-term aim.[11] A 2012 split saw a pro-independence, anti-capitalist faction form Anova–Nationalist Brotherhood, while a more moderate, autonomist faction formed Commitment to Galicia.[12]

· Organisation founded

Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) founded, 1982

A merger of Galician nationalist organisations founded the BNG, whose principles included recognising a Galician right of self-determination.

The 2024 regional election

At the election of 18 February 2024, the Popular Party won 40 of 75 seats (47.4%), retaining its absolute majority; the BNG won 25 seats (31.3%), a gain of 6 seats and its strongest recent result; the PSdeG–PSOE won 9 seats (14.1%), a loss of 5; and the new party Democracia Ourensana won 1 seat.[13] Alfonso Rueda, President of the Xunta de Galicia since March 2022, led the PP to victory and was re-elected president.[14]

· Election

Galician regional election, 2024

The Popular Party retained its absolute majority while the BNG made significant gains, becoming the clear second force.

Public opinion

Despite the BNG's electoral gains, support for outright independence remains low: a 2020 post-electoral survey by Spain's Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), as reported in the press, found over 80% of Galician respondents opposed to independence, with about 80.2% favouring remaining part of the Spanish state.[15]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: On 4 July 1936, Galician voters approved a draft Statute of Autonomy by referendum, with 993,351 votes (99.38%) in favour and 6,161 (0.62%) against, on a turnout of about 74.5%.

    • 1936 Galician Statute of Autonomy referendum (Wikipedia) link, Results section. Source record
  2. 2.

    Claim: Contemporary and later commentators, including some of the Statute's own supporters, described the lopsided 1936 result as showing signs of electoral irregularity ("pucherazo").

    • 1936 Galician Statute of Autonomy referendum (Wikipedia) link, summary of contemporary commentary. Source record
  3. 3.

    Claim: The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War less than three weeks after the 1936 referendum prevented the draft Statute from being submitted to the Spanish Cortes for final ratification, so it never took effect.

    • Statute of Autonomy of Galicia of 1936 (Wikipedia) link, Aftermath section. Source record
    • 1936 Galician Statute of Autonomy referendum (Wikipedia) link, Aftermath section. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: On 21 December 1980, Galician voters approved the current Statute of Autonomy by referendum, with 450,556 votes (78.77%) in favour and 121,448 (21.23%) against, but on a turnout of only 28.27% of the electorate.

    • 1980 Galician Statute of Autonomy referendum (Wikipedia) link, Results section. Source record
  5. 5.

    Claim: The 1980 referendum was marked by extremely high abstention in all four Galician provinces, with Lugo province recording abstention above 80%, contrasting with the higher turnouts in the 1979 Basque and Catalan autonomy referendums.

    • 1980 Galician Statute of Autonomy referendum (Wikipedia) link, Turnout and comparison. Source record
  6. 6.

    Claim: The Statute of Autonomy of Galicia entered into force on 6 April 1981, signed by King Juan Carlos I and President of the Government Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo.

    • Statute of Autonomy of Galicia of 1981 (Wikipedia) link, lead section. Source record
  7. 7.

    Claim: The 1981 Statute does not recognise a right of self-determination for Galicia, and Galician nationalist parties at the time considered it more limited than the never-enacted 1936 Statute.

    • Statute of Autonomy of Galicia of 1981 (Wikipedia) link, Background and reception. Source record
  8. 8.

    Claim: The Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) was formally founded on 25–26 September 1982 at the Fronton Municipal in A Coruña, as a merger of the Galician People's Union (UPG), the Galician National-Popular Assembly (AN-PG), the Galician Socialist Party (PSG) and independent activists.

  9. 9.

    Claim: The BNG's founding principles included recognition that Galicia, as a nation, has the rights of self-determination and of exercising national sovereignty. Attributed to BNG founding declaration (1982)

  10. 10.

    Claim: After around 1990, as more moderate nationalist currents joined and gained influence within it, the BNG gradually de-emphasised explicit talk of independence and self-determination in favour of demands for further devolution.

    • Galician Nationalist Bloc (Wikipedia) link, Evolution of the party's position. Source record
  11. 11.

    Claim: Since around 2011–2012 the BNG has readopted explicit support for Galician independence and the creation of a Galician republic as a long-term aim.

    • Galician Nationalist Bloc (Wikipedia) link, Evolution of the party's position. Source record
  12. 12.

    Claim: In 2012 dissatisfied factions left the BNG: a pro-independence, anti-capitalist current formed Anova–Nationalist Brotherhood, while a more moderate, autonomist current formed Commitment to Galicia (Compromiso por Galicia).

  13. 13.

    Claim: At the Galician regional election of 18 February 2024, the Popular Party (PP) won 40 of 75 seats (47.4%), an absolute majority; the BNG won 25 seats (31.3%), a gain of 6; the PSdeG–PSOE won 9 seats (14.1%), a loss of 5; and the new party Democracia Ourensana won 1 seat (1.0%).

    • 2024 Galician regional election (Wikipedia) link, results table. Source record
    • Spain's opposition conservatives retain control in Galicia regional elections (France 24, 18 February 2024) link, article text. Source record
  14. 14.

    Claim: Alfonso Rueda, President of the Xunta de Galicia since March 2022 following the early resignation of his predecessor Alberto Núñez Feijóo, led the PP to the 2024 victory and was re-elected president.

  15. 15.

    Claim: A 2020 post-electoral survey by Spain's Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS), as reported in the press, found that over 80% of Galician respondents rejected independence, with about 80.2% favouring remaining part of the Spanish state.

    • The PP stagnates in Galicia while the BNG soars, according to the CIS (Ara.cat) link, summary of the CIS survey. Source record

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Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/galicia/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.