1980 Andalusian autonomy initiative referendum facts for kids

"Do you agree to the ratification of the initiative, provided for in Article 151 of the Constitution, for the purpose of transacting it by the procedure provided in that article?"
Date	28 February 1980 (1980-02-28)
Quick facts for kids Results Votes  % Y Yes 2,472,287 94.19% N No 152,438 5.81% Valid votes 2,624,725 92.29% Invalid or blank votes 219,237 7.71% Total votes 2,843,962 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 4,430,356 64.19%

On Thursday, February 28, 1980, people in Andalusia voted in a special election called a referendum on the initiative of the Andalusian autonomy process. They were asked if they agreed for the provinces of Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Seville to become an autonomous community of Spain. This would happen using a specific legal process from Article 151 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978.

Most people, 94.2% of those who voted, said "Yes". About 64.2% of all eligible voters participated. However, for the "Yes" vote to pass, it needed to get at least 50% of all eligible voters in each province. In Almería, only 42.3% of eligible voters said "Yes", even though 51.1% of people there voted. This caused a problem for several months. Later, different political parties agreed on new laws to let Andalusia continue its path to becoming an autonomous community under Article 151.

How Autonomy Works: The Legal Rules

The Spanish Constitution of 1978 had two main ways for regions to become autonomous communities. This means they could govern themselves more.

The "Slow-Track" Way (Article 143)

• This path was slower.
• Local councils and most towns in a province or island had to agree.
• The region would get limited self-government for at least five years.

The "Fast-Track" Way (Article 151)

• This path was quicker and gave more power right away.
• Local councils and most towns had to agree.
• Then, the people had to vote in a referendum.
• In this vote, more than half of all eligible voters had to say "Yes".
• Some "historical regions" like Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia didn't need this referendum. They had already voted for self-government before the Second Spanish Republic.

If a region failed to meet these rules, it couldn't try for autonomy again under the same article for five years. The national government could also step in for "national interest reasons" to help a region become autonomous.

The rules for this referendum were set by a law from 1977. Anyone over 18 in the eight Andalusian provinces could vote. They had to be registered and have full civil and political rights. The question was: "Do you agree to the ratification of the initiative, provided for in Article 151 of the Constitution, for the purpose of transacting it by the procedure provided in that article?"

Why the Referendum Happened: The Background

Andalusia's desire for self-government started a long time ago. Events in the late 1800s and early 1900s, like the 1873 Cantonal Revolution, showed a growing feeling of Andalusian nationalism. A key figure was Blas Infante, who led a movement for autonomy between 1910 and 1936. During this time, Andalusia got its own flag and emblem. An early plan for self-government was written in 1932, but the Spanish Civil War stopped it. Blas Infante was even executed by forces loyal to Francisco Franco.

After Franco's death in 1975, Spain began its move to democracy. People in Andalusia started pushing for self-government again. In 1977, a group of politicians from the region formed an assembly. They wanted to set up a temporary government for Andalusia. On December 4, 1977, huge demonstrations took place across Andalusia. About 1.4 million people marched, showing how much they wanted autonomy.

Soon after, in April 1978, a temporary regional government called the Regional Government of Andalusia (Junta de Andalucía) was created. Plácido Fernández Viagas became its first president. In December 1978, all political parties signed the "Pact of Antequera." They promised to get the most self-government possible for Andalusia very quickly, following the new Spanish Constitution.

Progress on autonomy was slow, which helped the nationalist Socialist Party of Andalusia (PSA) gain support in the 1979 elections. Rafael Escuredo from the PSOE replaced Fernández Viagas as president in June 1979. Under Escuredo, Andalusia began the "fast-track" process (Article 151). This included writing a new self-government plan. By December 1979, almost all towns in all eight provinces had agreed to this plan.

However, the main national party, the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), led by Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez, started to oppose the "fast-track" for Andalusia. The PSOE-led regional government then launched a campaign to support Andalusian autonomy. They criticized the UCD for trying to delay the referendum and question their self-government plan. In January 1980, the UCD officially announced they would not support Article 151 for Andalusia. They wanted Andalusia to use the "slow-track" route (Article 143) instead.

When the Vote Happened: The Date

The date for the referendum was discussed by the main political parties in Andalusia. It was first planned for late 1979, possibly on the same day as similar votes in the Basque Country and Catalonia. But the date was moved to early 1980, either February 28 or March 1.

The UCD government said the date depended on a new Referendum Law being approved. This law would set the rules for autonomy referendums. Andalusian president Rafael Escuredo threatened to resign if the vote was delayed. This pressure led to the law being approved in time. So, the referendum was held as planned, even though the UCD was now against it. The official date was confirmed for Thursday, February 28, 1980, in the Official State Gazette on January 28, 1980.

The Campaign: Getting Out the Vote

After the UCD changed its mind in January 1980, telling voters to either not vote or cast blank ballots, some UCD members disagreed. Some, like former minister Manuel Clavero, supported the "Yes" vote.

The PSOE government in Andalusia criticized the UCD for making the campaign difficult. They said the campaign was too short (15 days) and the question was confusing because it didn't mention "autonomy" or "Andalusia." They also complained about not getting enough public money for their campaign and limited time on public TV and radio (RTVE). They felt this was unfair compared to the campaigns in the Basque and Catalan regions. The Spanish government said their actions were for "technical and legal reasons." They also said the Andalusian government's campaign was not neutral. This led President Rafael Escuredo to go on a three-day hunger strike, which ended due to his worsening health.

Party policies

Position	Parties		Ref.
Y Yes		Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
		Communist Party of Spain (PCE)
		Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA)
		Party of Labour of Spain (PTE)
		Communist Movement (MC)
		Andalusian Christian Democracy (DCA)
		Communist Organization of Spain (Red Flag) (OCE–BR)
		Liberation Front of Andalusia (FLA)
N No		New Force (FN)
		Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS)
		Spanish Democratic Right (DDE)
Abstention		Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
		People's Alliance (AP)

The Andalusian government still ran a campaign called Vota Andalucía nuestra ("Vote, our Andalusia"). They encouraged people to vote "Yes" through ads, billboards, and visits to rural areas. Parties supporting "Yes" (PSOE, PCE, PSA) held many rallies and distributed millions of flyers. They focused especially on Almería, where they worried the "Yes" vote might not meet the requirements. The UCD and AP, who wanted people to abstain, mostly used their free media time to explain their reasons against Article 151. Only the far-right New Force (FN) campaigned for a "No" vote, saying autonomy was "marxist and separatist."

As the campaign went on, it seemed more likely that "Yes" would win. The UCD then changed its strategy. They started campaigning harder against Article 151 and sent many ministers to Andalusia to encourage people not to vote. The referendum became a test for the UCD government. Many Andalusian voters, who might have been neutral before, decided to protest against the ruling party's tactics by voting "Yes."

The Results: What the Votes Showed

Overall Vote Outcome

Results by Province

What Happened Next: The Aftermath

The "Yes" campaign won in six of the eight provinces, which was better than expected. This was seen as a big political victory for those who wanted more self-government. However, the "Yes" vote did not reach the required 50% of all eligible voters in Almería. It barely passed in Jaén after a recount. The UCD saw this as support for their "slow-track" plan. But many UCD voters had actually ignored their party's call to abstain, which hurt the UCD's image in the region. Days after the vote, the UCD admitted they made "errors" in their campaign.

The "Yes" supporters argued that the results in Almería were unfair. They claimed that many deceased people were still on the voter lists, which made it harder to reach the 50% threshold. In Jaén, the results were very close. The UCD wanted to start the "slow-track" process. But "Yes" supporters wanted the Almería results to be cancelled or a new vote to be held there.

The problem was finally solved in October 1980 with two new laws. These laws allowed the "fast-track" autonomy process to continue for provinces that met the 50% requirement. They also allowed other provinces in the same region, like Almería, to join if their elected officials in the national parliament agreed. These laws were approved in November 1980. This led to the final steps for Andalusia's self-government plan, which was then approved in another vote in 1981.

To avoid similar problems in the future, the UCD and PSOE agreed on a plan for how other regions would get autonomy. This plan was put into a law in 1982.

The 1980 referendum had a lasting impact on Andalusia. The UCD later admitted their "Andalusian mistake" of opposing the "fast-track" route. Their popularity in the region was severely damaged and never recovered. The PSOE became the dominant political party in Andalusia for many decades. From 1982 onwards, February 28 became Andalusia Day, celebrated to remember the referendum and the success of the autonomy process.

See also

In Spanish: Referéndum sobre la iniciativa del proceso autonómico de Andalucía para niños

• 1979 Basque Statute of Autonomy referendum
• 1979 Catalan Statute of Autonomy referendum
• 1980 Galician Statute of Autonomy referendum
• 1981 Andalusian Statute of Autonomy referendum