Editing Lluís Companys (section)

== Proclamation of Second Spanish Republic ==
{{Main|Autonomous Region of Catalonia (1931-1939)}}
[[File:Luis Companys, gobernador civil de Barcelona, en Mundo Gráfico 1931-04-29.jpg|thumb|170px|Lluís Companys as Civil Governor of Barcelona, April 1931]]
In the [[1931 Spanish local elections]], the ERC won a surprise victory in Barcelona and other municipalities of Catalonia. After he learned the results, on 14 April, Companys, who was elected a city representative, and other ERC candidates together with the Party's leader [[Francesc Macià]], decided to take over by surprise the office of mayor and entered the City Hall. After some dispute, the transitional [[Mayor of Barcelona]] was deposed, and Companys was proclaimed new mayor. Subsequently, he hung a tricolour [[Flag of the Second Spanish Republic|Spanish Republican Flag]] from the City Hall's balcony and proclaimed the Republic.<ref>«Proclamación de la República en Barcelona». La Vanguardia.[http://hemeroteca.lavanguardia.com/preview/1931/04/15/pagina-6/33162334/pdf.html] 15 de abril de 1931.</ref> Shortly after, Francesc Macià proclaimed the [[Catalan Republic (1931)|Catalan Republic]] within the Federation of Iberian Republics, a project that was later abandoned after gaining the promise of regional devolution and the restitution of the Catalan [[Generalitat of Catalonia|Generalitat]] (as autonomous government) from the new Republican government.<ref>Carr, Raymond. ''Modern Spain: 1975–1980''. Oxford University Press, 1980, p. xvi.</ref>

After controlling the Barcelona City Hall, Macià ordered Companys to take the office of "Gobernador Civil" (civil governor) of the Barcelona Province, which at that time held considerable powers such as policing. It had been controlled by [[Radical Republican Party|republican radicals]] during the proclamation of the republic. Macià probably wanted a less public office for Companys, whom he thought of as a political rival. Companys ran as a Barcelona provincial candidate in the [[1931 Spanish general election|December 1931 Spanish legislative election]]. After gaining a seat, he led the ERC representation and the Catalan minority group in the new Republican Parliament. He described his political objectives in Madrid: "We, the Catalan members of the Parliament, have come here not only to defend our [[Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 1932|Statute of Autonomy]] [law of self-government], and the fraternal and democratic understanding of the members of Parliament; but, also to participate in matters that affect the greatness of Spain: the [[Spanish Constitution of 1931|Constitution]], the agrarian reforms and social legislation".<ref>{{Cite book|title = Lluís Companys. Un home de Govern|last = González i Vilalta|first = Arnau|year = 2009|isbn = 978-84-92437-26-9|publisher=Editorial Base|location = Barcelona|pages = 127}}</ref> In 1932, Companys was elected the first [[Speaker of the Parliament of Catalonia]].