Who is Adolfo Suarez?

Adolfo Suarez Gonzalez was born at Cebreros, near Avila, on September 25, 1932, he was the son of a minor civil servant and he's been called one of the most important men in spanish political history. Adolfo Suarez not only Spain former prime minister but the architect of its modern democracy by legalizing the outlawed Socialist and Communist parties and the labor unions. In 1976 he was chosen by king Juan Carlos to lead the country after the death of the fascist dictator Francisco Franco. His appointment was controversial because of being a part of Franco's regime. But he had charisma and ability to get opposite sides talking, he legalized previously political parties like the communists.

Suarez led the government until he resigned in 1981, he was in the process of handing over power when there was an attempted coup but he managed to refused to move and stood up with bravery to a gang of armed men led by Civil Guard Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero on February 23, 1981.

A loyal friend...

Adolfo Suarez joking with king  Juan Carlos during the ceremony
which delivered a human values award to Suarez
by the Spanish Group Post and Newspaper.

King Juan Carlos already being aware of Suarez's death regarded him as  :

" A loyal friend and exceptional political partner"

Saying his death caused him great pain.

Spearhead of the new unsteady democratic shift and born of UCD

In 1976, months after the death of Francisco Franco, King Juan Carlos chose Suarez in order to take over from the dictator’s last prime minister and carry out free elections. Considering the amount of leftists in the government, this decision wasn't received with a warm welcome mainly because Suárez had held various Cabinet posts under Franco, it is worth mentioning that he was  minister of the National Movement – the only legal political organization during the dictatorship.

Suarez started setting measures up inviting Socialist leader Felipe González and Santiago Carrillo, who was the mainstay of the Spanish Communist Party (PCE), both of them exiled, to join this hard battle against the disowned military and far-right.

Through this rough Political Reform Law of 1976, Suárez held its first free elections in four decades and legalized the unions. He set his own coalition up, named Democratic Center Union (UCD), and in 1977 became the first elected prime minister by population following the Franco dictatorship, capturing more than 34 percent of the vote, Gonzalez and his Socialists came in second with 29 percent support.

UCD Foundation and Achievement

With elections ahead, in the spring of 1977 Suárez united groups of progressive Christian Democrats and conservative Social Democrats into the Unión de Centro Democrático (UCD), and Francoist elements of the Movimiento joined Suárez, in the hope of electoral victory. Suárez's final lists were dominated by men who had served Franco. Although the UCD was composed by people who ideologically was not united, they were seeking the same goal through victory of democracy.

Suárez's campaign in the run-up to the elections of 15 June focused on the media, where his resources were almost boundless. Also, banks funded a huge advertising campaign. Suarez was clever enough to think a new plan up and convince most of the population, mainly housewife, who were promised better living standards by means of a propaganda of such great extent that let him obtain the victory with 34,5% of the vote meanwhile the Socialists polled 29.2%.

Through devaluation and wage control, inflation dropped to 16% and the peseta stabilised, but unemployment rocketed and reforms were sparse.

Popular disenchantment and UCD decay

Suárez had thrived within the system which had trained him, Franco's corrupt movimiento. Now he had to deal with a diverse party and the sniping of disgruntled army officers and Basque terrorists. Although his reform was ample for the conservative middle classes, the wider hunger for change went unsatisfied. Popular enthusiasm soon turned to popular disenchantment. Moreover, his authoritarian treatment of UCD deputies led to the resentment that eventually broke the party.

Suárez also started the federalisation of the Spanish state. The elections in Catalonia had been won by the left, and the new assembly of Catalan parliamentarians was lobbying for autonomy. To avoid dealing with a Socialist president, Joan Reventòs, Suárez negotiated with Josep Tarradellas, the president in exile.

Although Suárez continued to show his gift for backroom negotiation, his virtual withdrawal (partly impelled by a chronic dental condition) gave Spanish people the impression of desgobierno – of being ungoverned. Terrorism and military conspiracy introduced an element of fear into everyday life. Suárez was giving out an impression of apathy by his seeming reluctance to communicate with party, parliament or people. When in May 1980 the Socialist leader Felipe González presented a devastating censure motion, Suárez did not even reply.

For all his achievements in creating the institutional framework of a democratic Spain – elections, a constitution and regional autonomy – Suárez left many Spanish people with the impression that little had changed since Franco. His charm and negotiating skills were lost in the parliamentary arena and he had few solutions to economic recession and terrorism. Hostility within his party grew after a series of disastrous electoral setbacks in Andalucía, the Basque country and Catalonia. His popularity in the polls was plummeting and he became the hermit of the Moncloa palace.

Resignation speech

Adolfo Suarez giving his resignation speech 

"There are certain moments of every man's life in which it is assumed all sense of responsibility, I believed to have already worthily assumed it during the almost five years in which i have been president of this government,yet, the responsibility i feel today seems to me much higher"[...] "I  indefeasible present my resignation as president of the government and leave the UCD, it is not an easy decision but I have realized that my departure contributes to the welfare of the factual situation of Spain."

One of the most important figures on our history..

Speech given by President of Spain's democracy Mariano Rajoy

mourning the death of Adolfo Suarez.

"It is a sad day for Spaniards, but it is also a day of tribute to someone who is one of the most important positive figures on our history. It is time to show our respect and gratitude to the man who made our democracy possible. It is impossible to sum his legacy up in hardly a few phrases"