| Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo | |
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In office February 25, 1981 – December 1, 1982 |
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| Vice President | Rodolfo Martín Villa (1981-1982) Juan Antonio García Díez (1982) |
| Preceded by | Adolfo Suárez |
| Succeeded by | Felipe González |
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6th Second Vice
President of the Government of Spain
3rd of the Democratic Spain (since 1977) |
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In office September 9, 1980 – February 25, 1981 |
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| President | Adolfo Suárez |
| Preceded by | Fernando Abril |
| Succeeded by | Juan Antonio García Díez |
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In office July 4, 1976 – 1976 |
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| President | Adolfo Suárez |
| Preceded by | Antonio Valdés González-Roldán |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Pérez de Bricio Olarriaga (acting) |
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| Born | April 14, 1926 Madrid, Spain |
| Died | May 3, 2008 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | Spain |
| Political party | UCD |
| Spouse(s) | María del Pilar Ibáñez-Martín y Mellado |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo y Bustelo, 1st Marquess of la 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.
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Calvo-Sotelo was born into a prominent political family of and in Madrid on April 14, 1926.[1] His father was writer Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo.[2] His uncle José Calvo Sotelo was Finance Minister of Spain under Miguel Primo de Rivera.[1] 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.[1]
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.[1] 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.[1]
Calvo-Sotelo was designated Minister of Commerce by Carlos Arias Navarro to be in the first government of the Monarchy (December 1975 – July 1976).[1] He advocated total destruction of Franco's ideals instead of mere superficial changes that politicians like Navarro planned.[1] 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).[1] The UCD won in both the June 1977 and the March 1979 elections[1] and Calvo-Sotelo was elected MP for Madrid.
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.[1] After the resignation of Suárez on 29 January 1981, he was supposed to be appointed president (Presidente del Gobierno) on February 23, and advocated Spain's proposed entry into NATO as soon as possible.[1] However, on that date a session of the Congress of Deputies was interrupted by the attempted coup of 23-F.[1] After the failed coup, his appointment as Prime Minister was confirmed on February 25 by the vote of all the UCD members of the congress and 21 others as well, giving him a majority of 186 to 158.[1] Splits in the UCD group led to the formation of three rival parties, the Democratic Action Party (Partido de Acción Democrática/PAD), which soon merged with the PSOE the Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) and Democratic Popular Party (PDP) resulting in the UCD being unable to count on sufficient support in the legislature. Fresh elections were called, resulting in a heavy defeat for the UCD, which won only 12 seats at the 1982 election compared to 168 in 1979. He served as president until 1 December 1982 and was succeeded by the socialist Felipe González.[1]
Calvo-Sotelo was also a Member of the Club of Madrid[3] and of the Spanish Royal Academy of Engineering. He died at his home in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid on May 3, 2008.[1]
He was married to María del Pilar Ibáñez-Martín y Mellado and had eight children:
Media related to
Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, 1st Marquess of la Ría de Ribadeo at Wikimedia
Commons| Preceded by Adolfo Suárez |
President of the Government of
Spain 1981–1982 |
Succeeded by Felipe González |
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