Adolfo Suárez González, 1st Duke of Suárez (; 25 September 1932 – 23 March 2014) was a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

since the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII, and was di ...

and a key figure in the country's transition to democracy after the

dictatorship A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship are ...

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...

. When Spain was still an autocratic regime, he was appointed prime minister by

King Juan Carlos King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...

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 A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...

, 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 Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

Early life

Adolfo Suárez González was born on 25 September 1932 in

Cebreros Cebreros () is a municipality of Spain, located in the province of Ávila, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. As of 2018 it had a population of 3,056. The municipality covers an area of 137.47 km2. It lies at 755 metres ...

in the

Province of Ávila Ávila () is a province of central-western Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered on the south by the provinces of Toledo and Cáceres, on the west by Salamanca, on the north by Valladolid, an ...

of Spain, the eldest son of Hipólito Suárez Guerra, a lawyer, and Herminia González Prados. Both of his parents supported the Republicans during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

. At the age of 18, Suárez was president of the Ávila chapter of

Catholic Action Catholic Action is the name of groups of lay Catholics who advocate for increased Catholic influence on society. They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, Ita ...

. He studied law at the

University of Salamanca The University of Salamanca ( es, Universidad de Salamanca) is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the city of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It was founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX. It is th ...

, after which he took a job at the municipal government of

Ávila Ávila (, , ) is a city of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila. It lies on the right bank of the Adaja river. Located more than 1,130 m abov ...

in 1955. He subsequently became a member of

Opus Dei Opus Dei, formally known as the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei ( la, Praelatura Sanctae Crucis et Operis Dei), is an institution of the Catholic Church whose members seek personal Christian holiness and strive to imbue their work an ...

, and obtained a doctorate at the

Central University of Madrid The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loca ...

. He also worked briefly as a porter at Madrid's

Atocha railway station Madrid Atocha ( es, Estación de Madrid Atocha), also named Madrid Puerta de Atocha–Almudena Grandes, is the first major railway station in Madrid. It is the largest station serving commuter trains ( ''Cercanías''), regional trains from the s ...

Political career

Early career

In 1958, Suárez became the personal secretary of Fernando Herrero Tejedor, the newly appointed civil governor of Ávila. When Tejedor was made deputy secretary-general of the ''

Movimiento Nacional ''Movimiento Nacional'' ( en, National Movement) was a governing institution of Spain established by General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. During Francoist rule in Spain, it purported to be the only channel of participa ...

'' in 1961, Suárez became his ''

chef de cabinet In several French-speaking countries and international organisations, a (French; literally 'head of office') is a senior civil servant or official who acts as an aide or private secretary to a high-ranking government figure, typically a minist ...

''. He gradually rose through the ranks of the ''Movimiento''. In 1965, Suárez was appointed programme director of the state broadcaster Radio y Televisión Española (RTVE). In 1967, he was elected to the Francoist Cortes. In 1968, Suárez was promoted to civil governor and provincial head of the ''Movimiento'' in

Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is in the Inner Plateau (''Meseta central''), near the northern slopes of th ...

. In 1969, he was made director general of RTVE. Under this capacity, he became a close friend to future king Prince Juan Carlos. In March 1975, Herrero Tejedor became secretary-general of the ''Movimiento'' while Suárez was appointed deputy secretary-general. Herrero Tejedor was considered a likely candidate for prime minister until his death in a car accident in June. In December, shortly after

's death, Suárez was promoted to secretary-general by prime minister

Carlos Arias Navarro Carlos Arias Navarro, 1st Marquis of Arias-Navarro (11 December 1908 – 27 November 1989) was one of the best-known Spanish politicians during the Francoist regime. Arias Navarro was a moderate leader in the last phase of Francoism and the be ...

, and became a member of Arias's cabinet. In the same year, he also became a founding member of the

Spanish People's Union {{Infobox political party , name = Spanish People's Union , native_name = Unión del Pueblo Español , logo = Unión del Pueblo Español.png , logo_size = 190px , colorcode = {{party color, Spanis ...

(''Unión del Pueblo Español'', UDPE).

Premiership

In July 1976, King

Juan Carlos Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

requested the resignation of Arias. The relatively obscure Suárez was chosen as the new

Prime Minister of Spain The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government ( es, link=no, Presidente del Gobierno), is the head of government of Spain. The office was established in its current form by the Constitution of 1978 and it was first regula ...

, surprising many observers. At the age of 43, he was Spain's youngest prime minister in the 20th century. Due to his Francoist ties, Suárez enjoyed the trust of the political right, while the reformists were dismayed by his appointment. Nevertheless, it was noted that due to his age, Suárez was not as strongly associated with the bloody Civil War or the most brutal years of Franco's rule as the older politicians. Within a year of his appointment, Suárez had rapidly introduced reform measures and taken decisive steps in Spain's

transition to democracy Democratization, or democratisation, is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. It may be a hybrid regime in transition from an authoritarian regime to a full ...

(''La Transición''). The

Political Reform Act The Political Reform Act (Act 1/1977, of 4 January, for the Political Reform)bicameral parliament Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...

, was passed by a huge majority in the Francoist Cortes in November 1976 and overwhelmingly approved by a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

in December. Suárez managed to placate the conservative military officers, while also reaching out to

Felipe González Felipe González Márquez (; born 5 March 1942) is a Spanish lawyer, professor, and politician, who was the Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) from 1974 to 1997, and the 3rd Prime Minister of Spain since the ...

Spanish Socialist Workers' Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( es, Partido Socialista Obrero Español ; PSOE ) is a social-democraticThe PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in gov ...

(PSOE) and later,

Santiago Carrillo Santiago José Carrillo Solares (18 January 1915 – 18 September 2012) was a Spanish politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain (main), Communist Party of Spain (PCE) from 1960 to 1982. His role in the Paracu ...

Communist Party of Spain The Communist Party of Spain ( es, Partido Comunista de España; PCE) is a Marxist-Leninist party that, since 1986, has been part of the United Left coalition, which is part of Unidas Podemos. It currently has two of its politicians serving as ...

(PCE). Between February and April 1977, the PSOE and the PCE were both legalised, trade unions were recognised, and the ''Movimiento'' was abolished. The legalisation of the PCE in particular provoked fury in the Spanish military; Suárez responded by sacking hardliners and promoting more liberal officers such as

Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado, 1st Marquess of Gutiérrez Mellado (30 April 1912 – 15 December 1995) was a Spanish Army officer and politician who played a relevant role during the Spanish transition to democracy especially with regard to de ...

. On 15 June, 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-Francoist Spain. Suárez's

centrist Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the l ...

government instituted further democratic reforms. A new constitution, which recognised Spain as a

constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...

, was approved by a

in December 1978. In an effort to address separatist tensions and calls for increased local autonomy, Suárez also negotiated the creation of Spain's autonomous communities. Suárez's coalition won the 1979 elections under the new constitution. Suárez's political power eroded as he struggled to deal with economic recession, mounting violent activity by

ETA Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...

, calls for further regional autonomy and divisions within his own party. He became increasingly withdrawn from governance, partly due to a chronic dental condition. He survived a

motion of no confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...

presented by Felipe González and the PSOE in May 1980. In January 1981, trailing in the polls behind the PSOE and faced with a revolt within the UCD, Suárez announced his resignation as prime minister. A month later, as parliament took the vote to confirm Suárez's successor Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, Lieutenant-Colonel

Antonio Tejero Antonio Tejero Molina (born 30 April 1932) is a Spanish former Lieutenant Colonel of the Guardia Civil, and the most prominent figure in the failed coup d'état against the newly democratic Spanish government on 23 February 1981. Career Tejer ...

and around 200 Civil Guards stormed the chamber in an attempted coup and held the lawmakers hostage for some 22 hours. Suárez, along with two other parliamentarians, exhibited defiance by remaining calmly seated during the panic. The 23-F coup attempt ("El Tejerazo") failed as it was denounced by King Juan Carlos I in a televised address and promised military support failed to materialise.

Post-premiership

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 Liberal International (LI) is a worldwide organization of liberal political parties - a political international. It was founded in Oxford in 1947 and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties, aiming to strengthen liberalism around ...

, joining it in 1988, leading to it being renamed ''Liberal and Progressive International'', and Suárez became President of the Liberal International in 1988. He retired from active politics in 1991, for personal reasons. In 1981, Suárez was raised into the

Spanish nobility Spanish nobles are persons who possess the legal status of hereditary nobility according to the laws and traditions of the Spanish monarchy and historically also those who held personal nobility as bestowed by one of the three highest orders of ...

King Juan Carlos of Spain Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

and given the hereditary title of "Duque de Suárez" (

Duke of Suárez Duke of Suárez ( es, Duque de Suárez) is a hereditary title in the Spanish nobility. The dukedom was bestowed by King Juan Carlos on Adolfo Suarez González on 25 February 1981, following his resignation as Spanish Prime Minister, in recogn ...

), 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

. 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 The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...

. 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.

Illness and death

On 31 May 2005, Suárez's son,

Adolfo Suárez Illana Adolfo Suárez Illana (born 5 May 1964) is a Spanish politician, lawyer, author and aficionado-practitioner of bullfighting. Biography He is the eldest son of the late Adolfo Suárez González, Prime Minister from 1976 and 1981 and central ...

, announced on Spanish television that his father was suffering from

. 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. Suárez then died as a result of a respiratory infection on 23 March 2014 in a clinic in Madrid. Suarez was given a state funeral and was buried in the cloister of

Ávila Cathedral The Cathedral of the Saviour ( es, Catedral de Cristo Salvador) is a Catholic church in Ávila in the south of Old Castile, Spain. It was built in the late Romanesque and Gothic architectural traditions. It was planned as a cathedral-fortress ...

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

shared his condolences, saying: "In fraternal suffrage with you all, I make fervent prayers to the Lord for the eternal rest of this esteemed and feature figure of the recent history of Spain." On 26 March 2014, the Spanish government decided to rename the Madrid-Barajas Airport to

Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas ) , commonly known as Madrid–Barajas Airport, is the main international airport serving Madrid in Spain. At in area, it is the second-largest ai ...

in honour of his service to the country.

Family

Adolfo Suárez y su esposa, Amparo de Illana en el Palacio de la Moncloa

Suárez married María del Amparo Illana Elórtegui in 1961. She died from cancer on 17 May 2001. Their eldest daughter, María del Amparo ("Mariam") Suárez Illana (1962–2004), died of

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

on 6 March 2004, following an 11-year illness. Both of her younger sisters also suffered from the same illness. She was the mother of two children, Alejandra Romero Suárez (born 1990), herself the current holder of her grandfather's dukedom, and Fernando Romero Suárez (born 1993). Suarez' youngest daughter, María Sonsoles Suárez Illana (born 1967), became a TV

news anchor A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...

for Antena 3. From 1992 to 1994 she was married to José María Martínez-Bordiú y Bassó de Roviralta (a nephew of

Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú Cristóbal or Cristobal, the Spanish version of Christopher, is a masculine given name and a surname which may refer to: Given name *Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972), Spanish fashion designer *Cristóbal Cobo (born 1976), Chilean academic *Cri ...

, the son-in-law of Francisco Franco); the couple was without issue. In 2012 she married the Mozambican musician Paulo Wilson, and they separated in 2017. Suárez's eldest son, Adolfo Suárez Illana, is a politician, lawyer, and is heavily involved with the world of

bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

and has two sons. Suárez had two more children, his daughter Laura and his son Francisco Javier; both remain unmarried.

Honours

Decorations

National

* **

1,193rd Knight of the

(8 June 2007). ** Order of Charles III - Sash of Collar

Collar of the

Order of Charles III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...

''(Posthumously)'' (24 March 2014). ** ESP Charles III Order GC

Grand Cross of the

(23 June 1978). ** ESP Isabella Catholic Order GC

Grand Cross of the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

(29 September 1973). ** Order of Civil Merit (Spain) GC

Grand Cross of the

Order of Civil Merit The Order of Civil Merit ( es, Orden del Mérito Civil) was established by King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1926. The order recognizes "the civic virtue of officers in the service of the Nation, as well as extraordinary service by Spanish and fore ...

(18 July 1969). ** ESP Alfonso X Order GC

Grand Cross of the

Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise The Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise ( es, Orden Civil de Alfonso X el Sabio) is a Spanish civil order established in 1939, recognising activities in the fields of education, science, culture, higher education and research. The order was create ...

(1 April 1970). ** ESP Alfonso X Order - Common

Commander's Cross of the

(1 April 1967). ** ESP Gran Cruz Merito Naval (Distintivo Rojo) pasador

Grand Cross of the Order of Naval Merit (1 April 1972). ** Orde del Cardenal Cisneros

Grand Cross of the

Order of Cisneros The Order of Cisneros ( es, Orden de Cisneros, links=no) is a state order of Spain created in 1944. It is named after Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros. Primarily bestowed during the Francoist dictatorship and currently dormant, it reward ...

(18 July 1972). ** Ordem-Yugo-Flechas

Grand Cross of the Order of the Yoke and the Arrows (4 July 1975). ** ESP Gran Cruz Merito Militar (Distintivo Blanco) pasador

Grand Cross of the Military Merit with White Decoration (14 September 1970).

Foreign

*: **

Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (20 April 1978). ** PRT Order of Liberty - Grand Cross BAR

Grand Cross of the

Order of Liberty The Order of Liberty, or the Order of Freedom ( pt, Ordem da Liberdade), is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human di ...

(22 February 1996).

Awards

* Gold Medal of

(17 November 1969). * Gold Medal of

(12 February 1981). Received on 9 June 2005. * Adopted Son of

(12 February 1981). Received on 9 June 2005. *Alfonso X the Wise International Prize in Toledo (21 October 1994). *Gold Medal of

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

(30 November 1995). Received on 10 November 1998. *

Honorary Degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

by the

Complutense University of Madrid The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loca ...

(28 May 1996). * Prince of Asturias Concord Award (13 September 1996). *Coexistence Award of

Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ar, سَبْتَة, Sabtah) is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of several Spanish territorie ...

(30 April 1999). *Gold Medal of

Castilla y León Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to: Places Spain *Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha *Kingdom of ...

(22 March 1997). *Medal of Honor of

(15 May 2011). *Adopted Son of

(''Posthumous'', 27 March 2014).

Arms

References

External links

Biography by CIDOB
(in Spanish)
Tribute to Adolfo Suárez: Guestbook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suarez, Adolfo 1932 births 2014 deaths People from the Province of Ávila Spanish Roman Catholics 101 Union of the Democratic Centre (Spain) politicians Democratic and Social Centre (Spain) politicians FET y de las JONS politicians University of Salamanca alumni Francoist Spain Prime Ministers of Spain Opus Dei members Members of the constituent Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 1st Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 2nd Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 3rd Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 4th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Presidents of the Liberal International Deaths from dementia in Spain Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Spanish transition to democracy Complutense University of Madrid alumni Grandees of Spain Knights of the Golden Fleece Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Politicians from Galicia (Spain) Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal) Grand Crosses of the Order of Liberty Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit Recipients of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise Grand Crosses of Naval Merit Grand Crosses of Military Merit

Early life

Political career

Early career

Premiership

Post-premiership

Illness and death

Family

Honours

Decorations

National

Foreign

Awards

Arms

See also

References

External links