The transition to democracy, which began on the death of General Franco, meant the return of self-government and the governing institutions of Catalonia. The re-establishment of a provisional Generalitat, the approval of the Constitution in 1978 and the Statute of Self-government in 1979 are the chief milestones in a process which culminated with the elections to the second, contemporary, Parliament of Catalonia which were held on 20 March 1980. Since then, there has been uninterrupted development of self-government and of institutional consolidation.
