Adolfo Suárez
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Adolfo Suárez The Duke of Suárez | |
|---|---|
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| Prime Minister of Spain | |
| In office 3 July 1976 – 25 February 1981 | |
| Monarch | Juan Carlos I |
| Deputy | Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado |
| Preceded by | Fernando de Santiago y Díaz |
| Succeeded by | Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies for Madrid | |
| In office 28 July 1977 – 26 May 1991 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Adolfo Suárez González 25 September 1932 Cebreros, Castilla y León Spain |
| Died | 23 March 2014 (aged 81) Madrid, Spain |
| Resting place | Cathedral of Ávila |
| Political party | CDS |
| Other political affiliations | FET y de las JONS (Falange) (1961–1975) UCD |
| Spouse | María Amparo Illana Elórtegui (d. 2001) |
| Children | María Amparo (1962–2004) Adolfo (b. 1964) Laura Sonsoles (b. 1967) Francisco Javier |
| Alma mater | Salamanca University |
| Occupation | Jurist |
Adolfo Suárez González, 1st Duke of Suárez, Grandee of Spain, KOGF (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 after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and the key figure in the country's transition to democracy.
Early life
Adolfo Suárez was the son of Hipólito Suárez Guerra and Herminia González Prados (Ávila, 1910 – 18 July 2006), and the brother of Doña María del Carmen Suárez González, who is married to Aurelio Delgado Martín.[1] He was born in Cebreros. He later studied law at Salamanca University.
Political career
Suárez held several government posts during the late Francoist regime. He became the Minister Secretary General of the National Movement (Movimiento Nacional), a body that served as the sole political party in Spain. for 38 years, a period that extended beyond the death of Franco in November 1975. At a rally just a month before Franco's death, Suárez was queried by the aging Caudillo on the political future of Spain and told him frankly that the Movement would not likely long survive Franco and that democratization was inevitable.[2] Suárez was appointed as the 138th Prime Minister of Spain by King Juan Carlos on 4 July 1976, a move opposed by leftists and some centrists given his Francoist history. As a nationalist, he was chosen by the monarch to lead the country towards a democratic, parliamentary monarchy without annoying the powerful conservative factions (especially the military) in the nation. Surprising many observers and political opponents, Suárez introduced Political Reform in 1976 as a first, decisive step in the transition to democracy (La Transición).
In 1977, Suárez led the Union of the Democratic Centre (Unión de Centro Democrático, UCD) to victory in Spain's first free elections in 41 years, and became the first democratically-elected prime minister of the post-Franco regime.
Suárez's centrist government instituted democratic reforms, and his coalition won the 1979 elections under the new constitution. Less successful as a day-to-day organiser than as a crisis manager, he resigned as Prime Minister on 29 January 1981.[3] A month later, as parliament was taking a vote to confirm Suárez's replacement as Prime Minister Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, parliament was disrupted by the entrance of Lieutenant Colonel Tejero and his attempted coup.[4] The 23-F coup attempt ("El Tejerazo") shook the government, but was defeated. In 1982, Suárez founded the Democratic and Social Centre (Centro Democrático y Social, CDS) party, which never achieved the success of UCD, though Suárez and its party were important elements in the Liberal International, joining it in 1988, leading to it being renamed Liberal and Progressive International, and Suárez became President of the Liberal International in 1988.[5] He retired from active politics in 1991, for personal reasons.
In 1981, he was raised into the Spanish nobility by King Juan Carlos of Spain and given the hereditary title of "Duque de Suárez" (Duke of Suárez), together with the title Grande de España (English: Grandee of Spain) following his resignation as Prime Minister and in recognition of his role in the transition to democracy. Suárez was awarded the Príncipe de Asturias a la Concordia in September 1996 for his role in Spain's early democracy. On 8 June 2007, during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the first democratic elections, King Juan Carlos appointed Suárez the 1,193rd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.[6] He was also a member of the Club de Madrid, an independent organization (based in Madrid) that is composed of more than 80 former democratic Prime Ministers and Presidents. The group works to strengthen democratic governance and leadership.[7]
Illness
On 31 May 2005, Suárez's son, Adolfo Suárez Illana, announced on Spanish television that his father was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and could no longer remember his period as Prime Minister of Spain. The announcement followed speculation about Suárez's health in the Spanish media. On 21 March 2014 his son announced that his death from neurological deterioration was imminent.[8] Suárez then died as a result of a respiratory infection on 23 March.[9]
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- Mr. Adolfo Suárez (1932–1976).
- The Most Excellent Adolfo Suárez, Prime Minister of Spain (1976–1981).
- The Most Excellent The Duke of Suárez, Grandee of Spain (1981–2007).
- The Most Excellent The Duke of Suárez, Grandee of Spain, KOGF (2007–2014).
Honors
- Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece of Spain (1,193rd member, 8 June 2007).[10]
- Collar of the Order of Charles III (Posthumous, 24 March 2014).[11]
- Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (23 June 1978).[12]
- Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (29 September 1973).[13]
- Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (18 July 1969).[14]
- Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise (1 April 1970).[15]
- Commander's Cross (1 April 1967).[16]
- Grand Cross of the Order of Naval Merit (1 April 1972).[17]
- Grand Cross of the Order of Cisneros (18 July 1972).[18]
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Yoke and the Arrows (4 July 1975).[19]
- Gran Cross of the Military Merit with White Decoration (14 September 1970).[20]
- Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (Portugal) (20 April 1978).[21]
- Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty (Portugal) (22 February 1996).[22]
Awards
- Gold Medal of Segovia (17 November 1969).[23]
- Gold Medal of Ávila (12 February 1981). Received on 9 June 2005.[24]
- Adopted Son of Ávila (12 February 1981). Received on 9 June 2005.[25]
- Gold Medal of Madrid (30 November 1995). Received on 10 November 1998.[26][27]
- Prince of Asturias Concord Award (13 September 1996).[28]
- Coexistence Award of Ceuta (30 April 1999).[29][30]
- Gold Medal of Castilla y León (22 March 1997).[31]
- Medal of Honor of Madrid (15 May 2011).[32]
Arms
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Footnotes
- ^ Adolfo Suárez González, 1. duque de Suárez, Geneall.es, at Generall.net
- ^ Payne, S.G. The Franco Regime, 1936–1975. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 1987. p 616.
- ^ Preston, Paul, "Juan Carlos: Steering Spain from Dictatorship to Democracy", page 457. Harper Perennial, 2005. ISBN 0-00-638693-8
- ^ Cercas, Javier, "The Anatomy of a Moment". Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4088-0560-2.
- ^ Roberts, Geoffrey K.; Hogwood, Patricia (2003), The Politics Today companion to West European politics, Manchester University Press, p. 137
- ^ BOE 07-06-09, Spanish official journal. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
- ^ "Suárez, Adolfo". World Leadership Alliance. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- ^ El hijo de Adolfo Suárez sobre su padre: “El desenlace es inminente”
- ^ Fallece Adolfo Suárez, el presidente de la Transición, El Mundo, 23 March 2014
- ^ Boletín Oficial del Estado 07-06-09, Spanish Official Journal
- ^ Template:Es icon Collar of the Order of Charles III concession, Agencia EFE. (accessed on March 24, 2014)
- ^ Boletín Oficial del Estado 78-06-23, Spanish Official Journal (accessed on December 23, 2011)
- ^ Spanish: Boletín Oficial del Estado 73-09-29, Spanish Official Journal (accessed on December 23, 2011)
- ^ Spanish: Boletín Oficial del Estado 69-07-18, Spanish Official Journal (accessed on December 23, 2011)
- ^ Spanish: Boletín Oficial del Estado 71-04-05, Spanish Official Journal (accessed on December 23, 2011)
- ^ Spanish: Boletín Oficial del Estado 67-04-01, Spanish Official Journal (accessed on December 23, 2011)
- ^ Spanish: Boletín Oficial del Estado 72-04-01, Spanish Official Journal (accessed on March 24, 2014)
- ^ Spanish: Boletín Oficial del Estado 72-07-18, Spanish Official Journal (accessed on December 23, 2011)
- ^ Spanish: Boletín Oficial del Estado 75-07-04, Spanish Official Journal (accessed on December 23, 2011)
- ^ Spanish: Boletín Oficial del Estado 70-09-15, Spanish Official Journal (accessed on December 23, 2011)
- ^ Portuguese Republic
- ^ Portuguese Republic
- ^ Medalla de Oro de la provincia de Segovia concedida a su Alteza Real Don Juan de Borbón y Battenberg (1991). Segovia. Provincial Council of Segovia. ISBN 84-86789-35-4.
- ^ Adolfo Suárez, Medalla de Oro de Ávila, e Hijo Adoptivo de dicha ciudad
- ^ Adolfo Suárez, Medalla de Oro de Ávila, e Hijo Adoptivo de dicha ciudad
- ^ Medalla de Oro de Madrid para Adolfo Suárez, Teresa Berganza, Pedro Laín Entralgo y Joaquín Garrigues
- ^ Concesión de la Medalla de Oro de Madrid para Adolfo Suárez
- ^ Concesión Príncipe de Asturias a Don Adolfo Suárez González. Hemeroteca El País
- ^ Con Adolfo Suárez se va el primer galardonado por la Fundación Premio Convivencia
- ^ Suárez, González y Roca hablarán de "España desde la Constitución". Hemeroteca El País. Consultado el 24 de marzo de 2014.
- ^ Adolfo Suárez, profeta en su tierra
- ^ Medalla de Honor de Madrid para Suárez, y de Oro para González y Aznar
See also
External links
- Biography by CIDOB (in Spanish)
- Tribute to Adolfo Suárez: Guestbook
- Recent deaths
- Use dmy dates from October 2012
- 1932 births
- People from the Province of Ávila
- Spanish Roman Catholics
- Dukes of Suárez
- Union of the Democratic Centre (Spain) politicians
- Democratic and Social Centre (Spain) politicians
- University of Salamanca alumni
- Francoist Spain
- Prime Ministers of Spain
- Cold War leaders
- Opus Dei members
- Knights of the Golden Fleece
- Members of the constituent Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the first Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the second Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the third Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the fourth Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- People with dementia
- Deaths from Alzheimer's disease
- Spanish transition to democracy
- Complutense University of Madrid alumni
- Grandees of Spain
- 2014 deaths
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
- Grand Crosses with Collar of the Order of Charles III
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
- Grand Crosses of the Order of Liberty