Adolfo Suárez
Adolfo Suárez González, 1st Duke of Suárez (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈðolfo ˈswaɾeθ]; 25 September 1932 – 23 March 2014) was a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected prime minister since the Second Spanish Republic and a key figure in the country's transition to democracy after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
The Most Excellent The Duke of Suárez | |
|---|---|
Suárez in 1979 | |
| Prime Minister of Spain | |
| In office 5 July 1976 – 26 February 1981 | |
| Monarch | Juan Carlos I |
| Deputy | Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado |
| Preceded by | Fernando de Santiago (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo |
| President of the Liberal International | |
| In office 26 April 1989 – 22 April 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Giovanni Malagodi |
| Succeeded by | Otto Graf Lambsdorff |
| President of the Democratic and Social Centre | |
| In office 2 October 1982 – 26 May 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Calvo Ortega |
| President of the Union of the Democratic Centre | |
| In office 21 October 1978 – 9 February 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | Agustín Rodríguez Sahagún |
| Minister-Secretary General of the Movimiento Nacional | |
| In office 12 December 1975 – 6 July 1976 | |
| Preceded by | Ignacio García López |
| Succeeded by | José Solís Ruiz |
| Deputy Secretary General of the Movimiento Nacional | |
| In office 21 March 1975 – 2 July 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Antonio García Rodríguez-Acosta |
| Succeeded by | Antonio Chozas Bermúdez |
| Director General of RTVE | |
| In office 14 May 1969 – 25 June 1973 | |
| Preceded by | Jesús Aparicio-Bernal |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Orbe |
| Civil Governor of the Province of Segovia | |
| In office 31 May 1968 – 7 November 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Juan Murillo de Valdivia |
| Succeeded by | Mariano Pérez-Hickman |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 22 July 1977 – 26 October 1991 | |
| Constituency | Madrid |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Adolfo Suárez González 25 September 1932 Cebreros, Ávila, Second Spanish Republic |
| Died | 23 March 2014 (aged 81) Madrid, Spain |
| Resting place | Cathedral of Ávila |
| Political party | Democratic and Social Centre (1982–1991) |
| Other political affiliations | FET y de las JONS (1958–1977) Union of the Democratic Centre (1977–1982) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 including Adolfo |
| Parent(s) | Hipólito Suárez Guerra Herminia González Prados |
| Alma mater | Salamanca University |
| Occupation | Jurist |
| Signature | |
When Spain was still an autocratic regime, he was appointed prime minister by King Juan Carlos in 1976, hoping that his government could bring about democracy. At the time of his appointment, he was not a well-known figure, making many political forces skeptical of his government. However, he oversaw the end of the Francoist Cortes, and the legalisation of all political parties (including the Communist Party of Spain, a particularly difficult move). He led the Union of the Democratic Centre and won the 1977 general election. In 1981, he resigned and founded the party Democratic and Social Centre (CDS), which was elected to the Cortes numerous times. He retired from politics in 1991 and from public life in 2003, due to Alzheimer's disease.