Enrique Fuentes Quintana facts for kids

Enrique Fuentes Quintana (born 1924, died 2007) was a very important Spanish economist and politician. He helped lead Spain's economy right after a big change in the country's government. He served as a deputy prime minister of Spain from 1977 to 1978. This was in the first government after the Francoist State, a period when Spain was changing from a dictatorship to a democracy.

Early Life and Education

Enrique Fuentes Quintana was born on 13 December 1924, in a town called Carrión de los Condes in Palencia, Spain. His family mostly worked as lawyers or farmers. He studied law and later earned a PhD in political science and economics. He received both of these degrees from the Complutense University of Madrid in Madrid.

Enrique Fuentes Quintana's Career

Quintana taught economics at several universities. He taught at the University of Valladolid from 1956 to 1958. Then he taught at the Complutense University of Madrid from 1958 to 1978. Later, he taught at the National University of Distance Education (UNED) from 1978 to 1990.

His Role in Spain's Economy

Many people believe Quintana was one of the economists who helped Spain's economy grow a lot in the 1960s. He was in charge of the research department at the ministry of finance. He also edited a magazine called Información Comercial Española, which focused on new ideas for the economy. In 1969, he became the director of the institute for fiscal studies. He also served as the president of the Bank of Spain, which is like the country's central bank.

Becoming a Politician

In 1977, Enrique Fuentes Quintana was chosen to be the deputy prime minister for economy. He joined the government led by Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez. This was a time when Spain was becoming a democracy.

Quintana created a plan in 1977 to make Spain's economy more modern and efficient. This plan was very important because it helped Spain get closer to joining the European Economic Community (EEC), which is now known as the European Union.

Why He Resigned

Quintana stayed in his role until 22 February 1978. He resigned because he felt his ideas were not being supported enough by other members of the government. He wanted to make big changes to the economy, like reducing steel production and making electricity production state-owned. These ideas were part of an agreement called the Moncloa Pacts. However, some conservative politicians in the government did not support his plans.

Because his ideas were not fully backed, he decided to resign. Fernando Abril Martorell took over his position as deputy prime minister. Quintana's resignation was one reason why the government started to follow more conservative policies. After leaving his political job, Quintana went back to teaching. He became an emeritus professor at UNED, which means he was a retired professor who still kept his title.

Awards and Recognition

In 1989, Enrique Fuentes Quintana received the Asturias Award for social sciences. This is a very important award in Spain, recognizing his contributions to society.

Death

Enrique Fuentes Quintana passed away on 6 June 2007, in Madrid, at the age of 82. He had Alzheimer's disease.

See also

In Spanish: Enrique Fuentes Quintana para niños