A key moment in the history of the Valencian Country
On April 11, 1978, a significant milestone was marked for the Valencian Country with the first meeting of the Council of the Valencian Country. This was the first time the territory has had its own government since the destruction of its traditional institutions in 1707 during the Bourbon occupation.
A government born from the popular assembly
Only four weeks before this meeting, on March 17, 1978, the Valencian Country Member of Parliamentarians had created the Council, made up of 41 elected deputies. This body was established with the aim of coordinating the provincial councils and managing the transfer of powers, preparing the path to self -government.
The leadership of Josep Lluís Albinyana
One day before the opening meeting, on April 10, the first provisional government was appointed, led by the jurist Josep Lluís Albinyana i Olmos, which belonged to the Valencian sector of the PSOE. Albinyana adopted an action plan based on the agreements of the Political and Union forces of the Valencian Country, created two years earlier to unite the various political forces on a common front.
Objectives of the forces table
Among the most relevant goals of the table was the need to start a pre -autonomic process, establish a legal framework to draft a Statute and restore the self -government of the Valencian Country, as well as to achieve the co -officiality of Catalan/Valencian and Spanish.
The composition of the first government
The Council consisted of fourteen counselors, each person responsible for a specific area. Among them were figures such as Máximo Aguirre of the PDP, in charge of Economics; Ferran Vidal of the PSOE, Interior Manager; and Josep Lluís Barceló of the UCD, in Education.
Highlights
Other significant members included Antoni G. Miralles, who was in charge of public works, and Joan Lerma, who would later become President of the Generalitat, at the helm of Labor. The political diversity reflected in the team showed the aim of integrating different perspectives to build a representative government.
A new horizon for the Valencian Country
The creation of the Council of the Valencian Country was a radical change in local politics, opening a new horizon for Valencian society. With the task of managing powers and preparing the way to an autonomous government, this event was a key step in the struggle for self -government and the recovery of the political identity of the Valencian Country.
The impact of that day resonates to this day, remembering the importance of a government that was born of the popular will and marked the principle of a new age for the Valencian Community.
