Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eduardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle
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Official portrait, 1994
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| 31st President of Chile | |
| In office 11 March 1994 – 11 March 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Patricio Aylwin |
| Succeeded by | Ricardo Lagos |
| Member of the Senate of Chile | |
| In office 11 March 2006 – 11 March 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Gabriel Valdés Subercaseaux |
| Succeeded by | Alfonso de Urresti |
| Constituency | North Los Lagos Region |
| In office 11 March 1990 – 11 March 1994 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | María Elena Carrera |
| Constituency | East Santiago |
| President of the Senate of Chile | |
| In office 11 March 2006 – 11 March 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Sergio Romero Pizarro |
| Succeeded by | Adolfo Zaldívar |
| Senator for life | |
| In office 11 March 2000 – 11 March 2006 |
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| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
24 June 1942 Santiago, Chile |
| Nationality | Chilean, Swiss |
| Political party | Christian Democratic |
| Spouse |
Marta Larraechea Bolívar
(m. 1967) |
| Children | Verónica Cecilia Magdalena Catalina |
| Relatives | Carmen Frei (Sister) |
| Alma mater | University of Chile |
| Occupation | Civil engineer |
| Signature |  |
Eduardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle was born on June 24, 1942. He is a Chilean politician and a civil engineer. He served as the president of Chile from 1994 to 2000.
He was also a Senator and even became the President of the Senate from 2006 to 2008. In 2009, he tried to become president again but did not win. His father, Eduardo Frei Montalva, was also a president of Chile from 1964 to 1970.
During his time as president, Chile continued its journey towards democracy. The country also saw a period of fast economic growth. This growth was only briefly slowed down by a financial crisis in Asia in 1997.
In recent years, he has taken political stances that are different from his original party. He has aligned more with centrist and right-wing parties. This was seen in the constitutional votes in 2022 and 2023.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Eduardo Frei was born in Santiago, Chile. His parents were Eduardo Frei Montalva and María Ruiz-Tagle Jiménez. He went to school at the Luis Campino Institute.
After school, he studied at the University of Chile. He became a civil engineer, focusing on how water systems work. He also took advanced courses in management in Italy.
Starting a Political Career
Frei began his political journey while he was still a university student. He was a leader among the students. In 1958, he joined the Christian Democrat party.
In 1964, he helped his father, Eduardo Frei Montalva, win his presidential campaign. For many years, from 1969 to 1988, he worked as an engineer. He was a partner at Sigdo Koppers S.A., a large engineering company in Chile.
In 1988, Frei started a group called Comité Pro Elecciones Libres. This group worked to promote free elections in Chile. In 1989, he was elected as a Senator for Santiago. He received the most votes of any candidate in the country. As a Senator, he led the Treasury and Budget Commission. He was also part of the Housing Commission.
Becoming President of Chile
In 1992, Frei ran in the primary election for his political group. He won against Ricardo Lagos. Then, in the presidential elections of 1993, he won by getting 58% of the votes.
He officially became president on March 11, 1994. He served until March 11, 2000, when Ricardo Lagos took over. During his time as president, Frei made important improvements. These included better health services and education. He also helped reduce poverty in Chile.
President Frei had very good relationships with the president of Argentina, Carlos Menem. During his presidency, a land disagreement with Argentina was settled. The decision favored Argentina's side.
After his presidency ended, Frei became a senator-for-life in Congress. This meant he had a seat in the Senate because he was a former president.
Back in Congress
In 2005, Chile made changes to its constitution. These changes meant that there would be no more "senators for life" starting in 2006. Because of this, Frei ran for an elected Senate seat. He won in the December 2005 elections. He represented the areas of Valdivia Province and Osorno Province.
On March 11, 2006, Frei became the President of the Senate. This was a special moment because his father had also been President of the Senate after being President of the Republic.
Frei's grandfather had moved to Chile from Switzerland. In February 2009, Eduardo Frei also became a citizen of Switzerland.
In the 2009–2010 elections, Frei ran for president of Chile a second time. He was the candidate for the center-left group called Concertación. He promised to continue the popular policies of the outgoing president, Michelle Bachelet. Some of his campaign posters even showed him with President Bachelet.
In the first round of elections on December 13, 2009, Frei received 29.60% of the votes. He came in second place to Sebastián Piñera, who had 44.05%. Since no one got more than half the votes, a second election was held on January 17, 2010. The early results showed Piñera with 51.87% and Frei with 48.12%. Frei accepted his defeat.
He made a graceful statement after the election. He said, "The election is over and Chileans have shown civic maturity.... The results clearly show the solidity of our democracy. It has been clean and transparent in line with our tradition. I want to congratulate Piñera, to whom most Chileans have given their trust for the next four years."
Honors and Awards
| Presidential styles of Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle |
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| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Alternative style | Mr. President |
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle has received many honors from Chile and other countries. These awards recognize his important work and contributions.
- He was the Grand Master of the Order of Merit and the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins while he was president.
- He has also received high honors from countries like Peru, Italy, Croatia, Malaysia, Poland, and Spain.
- He is a member of the Club de Madrid. This is a group of over 100 former democratic leaders from around the world. They work to promote democracy and positive change globally.
Images for kids
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Coat of Arms of Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
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See also
In Spanish: Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle para niños
