In 1990, Lleida was the first town to recover the institution of the Ombudsman for the local government, as a commissioner of the plenum of the Town Hall in order to look after the respect and fulfillment of the citizenship’s rights in the local area. Later on, other Catalan towns like Vilafranca del Penedès, Tiana, Granollers, Girona, Mataró, Reus, Badalona, Saint Boi and Santa Coloma de Gramenet will join.

Further on, in a late stage, the institution will also settle down in outstanding towns such as Barcelona, Viladecans and Arenys de Mar. Finally it will extend to other towns from the rest of the state like Jerez, Gandia, Calvià, Palma de Mallorca and Vitoria.

Today Catalonia is the autonomous community of the state with the most local ombudsmen, counting on nearly 40 towns with this figure whose expansion is a reality to which more than 3.500.000 inhabitants (census of 2005) have access to, cities and towns that have adopted this democratic commitment with the citizenship.