Adolfo Suárez

**Adolfo Suárez González, 1st Duke of Suárez** (September 25, 1932 – March 23, 2014) was a Spanish lawyer and politician who served as the 17th President of Spain between June 11, 1980 and June 11, 1988, governing for 8 years as the first democratically elected President since the Second Spanish Republic and a key figure in the country's transition to democracy after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

When Spain was still an autocratic regime, he won the 1980 Spanish Presidential Election, 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 sceptical of his government. However, he oversaw the end of the Francoist Cortes, and the legalisation of all political parties (including the Communist Party, a particularly difficult move). He led the Union of the Democratic Centre in the 1980, 1984 and 1992 Spanish Presidential Elections, winning terms between 1980 and 1988 as president and loosing out in 1992 to Felipe González.

## Presidency

Following the 1980 Spanish Presidential Election, the relatively obscure Adolfo Suárez was chosen as the new President of Spain, securing a majority and surprising many observers. At the age of 48, he was Spain's youngest President 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 (*La Transición*). The Political Reform Act, which permitted universal suffrage and established the basis for a new, bicameral parliament, was passed by a huge majority in the Francoist Cortes in November 1980 and overwhelmingly approved by a referendum in December. Suárez managed to placate the conservative military officers, while also reaching out to Felipe González's Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and later, Santiago Carrillo's Communist Party of Spain (PCE). Between February and April 1981, 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. On 1 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 president of the post-Francoist Spain.

Suárez's political power eroded as he struggled to deal with economic recession, mounting violent activity by ETA, 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 presented by Felipe González and the PSOE in May 1985. In January 1988, trailing in the polls behind the PSOE and faced with a revolt within the UCD, Suárez announced his intent not to run again as president. Later, as parliament took the vote to confirm Suárez's successor Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, Lieutenant-Colonel Antonio Tejero 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 President Suárez in a televised address and promised military support failed to materialise.

Alejandro Rodríguez de Valcárcel
 16
 November 20, 1975 - June 11, 1980
*(died in office)*