Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo

Infobox_Prime Minister


name = Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo y Bustelo
nationality = Spain
order = 74th President of the Government of Spain
2nd of Democratic Spain (since 1977)
term_start = February 25, 1981
term_end = December 1, 1982
predecessor = Adolfo Suárez González
successor = Felipe González Márquez
office2 = 6th Second Vice President of the Government of Spain
3rd of the Democratic Spain (since 1977)
salary2 =
term_start2 = September 9, 1980
term_end2 = February 25, 1981
president2 = Adolfo Suárez González
predecessor2 = Fernando Abril Martorell
successor2 = Juan Antonio García Díez
office3 = Minister of Public Works
salary3 =
term_start3 = July 4, 1976
term_end3 = 1976
president3 = Adolfo Suárez González
predecessor3 = Antonio Valdés González-Roldán
successor3 = Carlos Pérez de Bricio Olarriaga
("acting")
birth_date = birth date|1926|4|14
birth_place = Madrid, Spain
dead =
death_date = Dda|2008|5|3|1926|4|14
demise_place = Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
spouse = Pilar Ibáñez-Martín Mellado
party = UCD
vicepresident = Rodolfo Martín Villa
(1981-1982)
Juan Antonio García Díez
(1982)
religion = Roman Catholic

Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo y Bustelo, 1st Marquess of Ría de Ribadeo ("Don Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo y Bustelo, 1. Marqués de la Ría de Ribadeo") (April 14, 1926 - May 3, 2008) was a Spanish political figure and President of the Spanish government during Spain's period of transition after the end of Francisco Franco's regime.

Biography

Calvo-Sotelo was born into a prominent political family of in Madrid on April 14, 1926.cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo: Post-Franco Prime Minister of Spain who survived an attempted coup and was determined to see the country join Nato|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3872364.ece |work=The Times |publisher= |date=2008-05-05 |accessdate=2008-05-13 ] His uncle José Calvo Sotelo was Finance Minister of Spain under Miguel Primo de Rivera. Calvo-Sotelo graduated as an Civil Engineer by the school of Civil Engineers of Madrid now part of the Technical University of Madrid, working in the area of applications of chemistry to the industry.

He was president of RENFE (Renfe Operadora, Spanish national railroad operators) between 1967–1968. Calvo-Sotelo was elected solicitor (Deputy) of Franco's Cortes, representing industrialists in the Union of Chemical Industries, in 1971. A monarchist, Sotelo was one of the founders of an association of politicians, mostly of Rightists and Center Rightists, which disguised as the Fedisa publishing firm helped Spain's peaceful transition into democracy.

Calvo-Sotelo was designated Minister of Commerce by Carlos Arias Navarro to be in the first government of the Monarchy (December 1975 – July 1976). He advocated total destruction of Franco's ideals instead of mere superficial changes that politicians like Navarro planned. Calvo-Sotelo was kept in the cabinet of Adolfo Suárez upon his succession to premiership in 1976 and directed several centre-right and centre-left political associations into one party, the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD). The UCD won in both the June and the March 1979 elections, Calvo-Sotelo receiving almost as many votes as Suárez.

Suárez decided to keep him in the Cabinet, first from 1978 to 1980 as Minister for Relations of the European Economic Community, then as Second Vicepresident in charge of economic affairs. After the resignation of Suárez in January 1981, he was supposed to be appointed president ( _es. "Presidente del Gobierno") on February 23, and advocated for Spain's proposed entry into NATO as soon as possible. However, on that date a session of the Congress of Deputies was interrupted by the attempted coup of 23-F. After the failed coup, his appointment as Prime Minister was confirmed by the vote of all the UCD members of the congress and 21 others as well, giving him a majority of 186 to 158. He served as president until 1982 and was succeeded by the socialist Felipe González.

Calvo-Sotelo was also a Member of the Club of Madrid [ [http://www.clubmadrid.org Club of Madrid] The Club of Madrid is an independent organization dedicated to strengthening democracy around the world by drawing on the unique experience and resources of its Members – 66 democratic former heads of state and government.] and of the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering. He died at his home in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid on May 3, 2008.

Bibliography

*Mclean, Renwick (2006). "Spain Takes a Proud Look Back." "International Herald Tribune". February 24.
*Preston, Paul (1990). "The Triumph of Democracy in Spain". London: Routledge.
*Rogers, Eamonn and Valerie Rogers, eds. (1999). "Encyclopedia of Contemporary Spanish Culture". London: Routledge.
*Walker, Jane (2006). "The Day Freedom Was Put in Peril." "The Irish Times". February 23.

References