Adolfo Suárez González President of the Government of Spain
Tenure	July 5, 1976 to February 25, 1981
Preceded by	Carlos Arias Navarro
Succeeded by	Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo
Date of birth	September 25 1932
Place of birth	Cebreros , Ávila province
First Lady	Amparo Illana Elórtegui
Party	Union of Democratic Center (UCD)

Adolfo Suárez González (September 25, 1932) Spanish politician and statesman. Born in Cebreros , Ávila province, Suárez became Spain's first democratically elected President of the Government (i.e., Prime Minister) after the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. He studied Law at the Complutense University in Madrid and held several government posts during the Francoist regime.

He became the Secretary-general of the National Movement (Movimiento Nacional), that acted as the single party, for 18 years and following the death of Franco in late 1975. For this reason, centrist and leftist supporters opposed his appointment as President of the Government by King Juan Carlos I in July1976. Suárez as a nationalist, was chosen by the monarch to lead the country towards a democratic, parliamentary monarchy without annoying the powerful conservative factions(especially the military) inthe country. Surprising many observers and political opponents, Suárez introduced Political Reform in 1976 as a first, decisive step in the Transition (Transición) to democracy.

In 1977 he led the Democratic Center Union (Unión de Centro Democrático, UCD) to victory in Spain's first free elections in 41 years, and became the first democratically elected Prime Minister after the Franco regime.

His centrist government instituted democratic reforms, and his coalition again won the 1979 elections under the new constitution. Less successful as a day-to-day organizer than as a crisis manager, he was replaced as premier in 1981. In 1982 he founded Democratic and Social Center (Centro Democrático y Social, CDS) party, which never achieved the success of UCD. He retired from active politics in 1991, for political party and family reasons.

Suárez won the "Príncipe de Asturias a la Concordia" award in September 1996, in recognition of his important personal contribution to Spanish democracy. The King of Spain made him Duke of Ávila.

Family

Both his wife, Amparo Illana Elórtegui , and elder daughter, Marian Suárez Illana , suffered and died from cancers (in 2001 and 2004, respectively). Another daughter, Sonsoles Suárez Illana , became a TV news anchor for Antena 3. Son Adolfo Suárez Illana was chosen by José María Aznar as the People's Party (PP) candidate for the post of president of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, but lost against incumbent José Bono, of the Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE). Suárez has two more siblings, Laura and Javier.

See also

• History of Spain
• Politics of Spain
• Prime Minister of Spain