The Prince of Asturias Foundation
Born in Cebreros (Ávila) in 1932, Adolfo Suarez obtained his PhD in Law from the Complutense University of Madrid. He held several offices of responsibility within government, such as Governor of Segovia (1968-1969), Director General of TVE (1969-1973), Secretary General of the Movement (1975-1976) and, finally, after the death of Franco, he was appointed president of the government by His Majesty King Juan Carlos I in 1976. Well acquainted with the institutions of the former regime, he concentrated his efforts on the promotion of the Political Reform Act, passed by referendum in December 1976 and which led him to decree an amnesty for political crimes. The purpose of this Act was to set out on a path of transition towards a democratic and constitutional system for Spain. As well as favouring from government the legalization of all political parties, Suárez founded the Unión de Centro Democrático (UCD), with which he won the general elections in June 1977 and which was charged with the drafting and approval of the Constitution, ratified by referendum on 6th December, 1978. With this tool in hand, he began the transformation of Spain towards the rule of law and the respect for freedoms. Shortly after the elections, in October 1997, he succeeded in uniting political parties and social actors in the signing –in view of the pressing economic situation– of the so-called “Moncloa Pacts”, whilst initiating the process of decentralization towards autonomous communities, establishing the first statutes of pre-autonomy. After his resignation as President of the Government in 1981, he withdrew from political life, returning shortly after to found the Centro Democrático y Social (CDS), whereupon he was elected Member of Parliament, leaving politics for good in 1991. He was awarded honorary degrees by the Universities of Asunción (Paraguay), Complutense (Madrid), A Coruña, Politécnica (Madrid) and Valencia.
Nowadays, he no longer participates in politics for health reasons.
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