Manuel Fraga Iribarne

Manuel Fraga Iribarne (born November 23, 1922 at Villalba, Galicia) is a Spanish politician. Fraga has been one of the key political figures in Spain under both General Franco's dictatorial regime and the subsequent democracy.

The First Government of the Monarchy

After a brief period as Spain's ambassador in the United Kingdom, which ended with Franco's death, Manuel Fraga was indicted vicepresident and Interior Minister (Ministro de Gobernación) in 1976, under Carlos Arias Navarro's government, the first with Juan Carlos I as chief of state. Until that moment, Fraga was known as a heavy-handed politician, though also seen as one of the reformers seeking a liberalisation from within the regime, but the drastic measures he took as chief of state security during the first days of the Spanish transition to democracy damaged his popularity at a great level. He was attributed the phrase "¡La calle es mía!" ("The streets are mine!") and since then associated by the press and public with the violent repression of the Franco era.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Interior Minister - 1976 - Carlos Arias Navarro - Juan Carlos I - Chief of state - Liberalisation - Spanish transition to democracy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~