Felipe González

Felipe González Márquez (born March 5, 1942) was a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) from 1974 to 1997. He was also the longest-serving Prime Minister of the Spanish government, in four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996.

After the presidency

Since September 1996 he heads the Madrid-based Global Progress Foundation (FPG). At the beginning of the XXXIV PSOE National Congress on June 20 1997 he made a surprise resignation as leader of the party. He also resigned from the federal executive committee, though retaining his seat in the Congress. With no clear successor he continued to exert an enormous influence over the party. He was only replaced at the XXXV party Congress in July 2001 when José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero became the leader.

Related Topics:
June 20 - 1997 - 2001 - José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

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In 1999 González was put in charge of the party's Global Progress Commission in response to globalisation. The Commission's report formed the basis of the closing declaration of the XXI Socialist International Congress on November 8-9 1999.

Related Topics:
1999 - Globalisation - November 8 - 9

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He stood down as a deputy in the Spanish Parliament in March 2004.

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One of his hobbies is tending bonsai trees. During his tenure at Moncloa, he received and cultivated several of them, mostly Mediterranean species, that he later donated to the Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid.

Related Topics:
Bonsai - Moncloa - Royal Botanic Garden

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