On 16 March 1979, Galicia attained the rank of "pre-autonomous community", and in June 1979 Galician members to the Spanish Parliament submitted a draft for a Statute of Autonomy.
Once the Constitutional Committee and the Spanish Parliamentary Assembly altered this first draft, it was finally ratified by the Galician people in a referendum held in December 1980.
[1] For example, the 1936 statute endorsed Galicia with control over the economy and taxes, and also with the unique power to nationalize, rights not contemplated in 1981, among others.
The 1981 Statute of Autonomy recognises Galicia as a historical nationality, a cultural and geographical unit entitled to self-government in democracy.
Although there is a still a parliamentary commission working on the development of a draft for a new Statute,[3] it is expected that political discussions on the question of "nationality" will not be resolved easily.