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.

Presidency

In the 1982 general election held on October 28, 1982, the PSOE gained 48.3% of the vote and 202 deputies (out of 343). On December 2 González became the prime minister, with Alfonso Guerra as his deputy. His election was met with tremendous expectation of change amongst Spaniards. Under his government education was made universal and free until the age of 16, the university education was expanded, the social security system began, and a partial legalisation of abortion became law for the first time, despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. González pushed for liberal reforms and a restructuring of the economy.

Related Topics:
1982 general election - October 28 - 1982 - December 2 - Prime minister - Alfonso Guerra - Social security - Abortion - Roman Catholic Church

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On February 23, 1983, the Government passed a law nationalising Rumasa, a private business that included merchant banking interests, on the grounds that it was at the point of bankruptcy and the government needed to protect the savings of depositors and the jobs of its 60,000 employees, a decision that aroused considerable criticism and a judicial conflict over the law that was only resolved, in favour of the government, in December 1986.

Related Topics:
February 23 - 1983 - Nationalising - Merchant banking - 1986

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Having promised in the election to create 800,000 new jobs his government's restructuring of the steel industry actually resulted in job lay offs, especially in the provinces. When they tried to similarly tackle the debt problems in the dock industry in 1984 the dockers went on strike. The Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT), or Workers' General Union, called a general strike one on June 20 1985 in protest at social security reforms. The same year his government began a massive partial or full privatisation of the 200 state owned companies, as well as the hundreds of affiliates dependent on these companies.

Related Topics:
Steel - Dock - 1984 - Strike - Unión General de Trabajadores - June 20 - 1985 - Privatisation

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In the 1986 general election held on June 22, 1986, the PSOE gained 44.1% of the vote and 184 deputies in Parliament. González was elected prime minister for the second time. During this mandate, Spain joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1986. González supported Spain entering NATO that same year in a referendum reversing his and the party's earlier anti-NATO position. A general strike on December 14, 1988 completely paralysed the country, and caused the Unions and the PSOE left wing to describe González as moving to the right.

Related Topics:
1986 general election - June 22 - 1986 - European Economic Community - NATO - Referendum - December 14 - 1988

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On October 29, 1989, he won the 1989 general election with 39.6% of the vote and 175 seats, his third successive mandate. In the First Gulf War in 1991, González supported the USA. From 1991, the PSOE started losing its urban vote in favour of the reformed People's Party.

Related Topics:
October 29 - 1989 - 1989 general election - First Gulf War - 1991 - People's Party

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On June 6, 1993, González won the 1993 general election with 38.8% of the vote and 159 deputies. His fourth victory was marred by the fact he was forced to form a pact with small political parties from Catalonia and Basque country in order to form a new government.

Related Topics:
June 6 - 1993 - 1993 general election - Catalonia - Basque country

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Towards the end of 1995 there was a debate about whether González should lead PSOE in the forthcoming general elections. He was associated in the public mind with the bad economic situation (with the unemployment rate approaching 25%) and with various corruption and state terrorism scandals, including that of GAL and its fight against ETA. There was talk in the press about Javier Solana (who was the only member of González original cabinet, and as foreign minister was not linked to these scandals), but Solana was appointed Secretary General of NATO in December 1995.

Related Topics:
1995 - Corruption - State terrorism - GAL - ETA - Javier Solana - NATO

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Left with no other suitable candidate, the party was again led by González, and in the 1996 general election held on March 3, 1996, they gained 37.4% of the vote and 141 deputies. They lost the election to the People's Party whose leader José María Aznar replaced Gonzales as prime minister ("presidente" in Spanish, but not to be confused with the more common use of the term) on May 5, 1996.

Related Topics:
1996 general election - March 3 - 1996 - People's Party - José María Aznar - Spanish - May 5

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