Fernando Suárez González (born 10 August 1933) is a Spanish politician and jurist. As of 2021, he is the last living minister who served in

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 ...

's regime.

Biography

Suárez graduated in law from the

University of Oviedo The University of Oviedo ( es, Universidad de Oviedo, Asturian: ''Universidá d'Uviéu'') is a public university in Asturias (Spain). It is the only university in the region. It has three campus and research centres, located in Oviedo, Gijón ...

, then completed his PhD at the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continuo ...

. He worked, among others as an academic teacher at 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 ...

, where he became professor of labor law. In 1969, he returned to Oviedo as chairman, and two years later as dean. He was also active in the state administration during the Francoist period. In 1973 he became the general director of the Instituto Español de Emigración, an institution dealing with migration policy. In 1975, in the last government headed by General

, Suárez served as

Minister of Labour Minister of Labour (in British English) or Labor (in American English) is typically a cabinet-level position with portfolio responsibility for setting national labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, traini ...

and Third Deputy Prime Minister. After the political changes, Suárez was active in the People's Alliance and then the People's Party. In the years 1982–1986, he was a member of the

Congress of Deputies The Congress of Deputies ( es, link=no, Congreso de los Diputados, italic=unset) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spain's legislative branch. The Congress meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid, Palace of the Parliament () in Ma ...

of the second term. After the accession of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

to the

European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisb ...

in 1986, he assumed the mandate of a member of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

for the second term. He kept it in the

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

and

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

general elections. He served as vice-chairman of the Budget Committee, vice-chairman of the Group for European Democracy and a member of the presidium of the

European People's Party The European People's Party (EPP) is a European political party with Christian-democratic, conservative, and liberal-conservative member parties. A transnational organisation, it is composed of other political parties. Founded by primarily Ch ...

. Suárez continued his academic activity at

UNED The National Distance Education University, known in Spanish as ''Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia'' (UNED), is a public research university of national scope. The university was founded in 1972 under the Ministry of Universities ...

. In 2007, he received a membership in the

Real Academia de Ciencias Morales y Políticas The Real Academia de Ciencias Morales y Políticas (RACMP, English: Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences) is a forum for the sharing of social, economic, philosophical, political and juridical knowledge. It was created on 30 September 1 ...

. In 2014, the Argentine judge

María Romilda Servini María Romilda Servini de Cubría (born 1 December 1936) is an Argentine lawyer and judge who presides over Federal Court No. 1 of Buenos Aires. Early life María Romilda Servini was born in the city of San Nicolás de los Arroyos, in the extreme ...

issued an arrest and extradition order against several former ministers of the Franco dictatorship. Suárez was included in the order for his responsibility for the death penalty of the last five executions by the Franco dictatorship in 1975. The request for extradition was refused by the

Spanish High Court The Audiencia Nacional (; en, National Court) is a centralised court in Spain with jurisdiction over all of the Spanish territory. It is specialised in a certain scope of delinquency, having original jurisdiction over major crimes such as those ...

on the basis that the statute of limitations had run out on the accusation against him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suarez Gonzalez, Fernando 1936 births Living people People from León, Spain Government ministers during the Francoist dictatorship FET y de las JONS politicians People's Alliance (Spain) politicians People's Party (Spain) politicians Deputy Prime Ministers of Spain Members of the 2nd Congress of Deputies (Spain) MEPs for Spain 1986–1987 MEPs for Spain 1987–1989 MEPs for Spain 1989–1994 University of Oviedo alumni Academic staff of the Complutense University of Madrid Spanish jurists