Felipe González facts for kids
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Felipe González
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González in 1991
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| Prime Minister of Spain | |
| In office 2 December 1982 – 5 May 1996 |
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| Monarch | Juan Carlos I |
| Deputy | |
| Preceded by | Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo |
| Succeeded by | José María Aznar |
| Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | |
| In office 28 September 1979 – 21 June 1997 |
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| President | Ramón Rubial |
| Deputy | Alfonso Guerra |
| Preceded by | Caretaker committee |
| Succeeded by | Joaquín Almunia |
| In office 13 October 1974 – 20 May 1979 |
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| President | Ramón Rubial (1976–1979) |
| Preceded by | Rodolfo Llopis |
| Succeeded by | Caretaker committee |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 5 May 1996 – 21 June 1997 |
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| Prime Minister | José María Aznar |
| Preceded by | José María Aznar |
| Succeeded by | Joaquín Almunia |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 29 March 2000 – 2 April 2004 |
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| Constituency | Seville |
| In office 2 July 1977 – 5 April 2000 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Felipe González Márquez
5 March 1942 Seville, Andalusia, Francoist Spain |
| Political party | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Seville |
| Signature |  |
Felipe González Márquez (born 5 March 1942) is a Spanish politician who used to be the Prime Minister of Spain. He served in this important role from 1982 to 1996. He was also the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. He holds the record for being Spain's longest-serving democratically elected Prime Minister.
González joined the PSOE political party in 1964. At that time, the party was banned under the Francoist regime (a type of government that was not democratic). He earned a law degree from the University of Seville in 1965. In 1974, the PSOE chose González to be its Secretary-General. He helped lead the party as Spain moved towards democracy.
His party came in second place in the 1977 general election. This made the PSOE the main opposition party. They kept this position in the 1979 election.
After the PSOE won the 1982 general election, González became Prime Minister. He had strong support from the politicians in the Congress of Deputies. He led the Spanish government for over thirteen years. He won three more elections in 1986, 1989, and 1993. In 1996, González lost the election to José María Aznar. He was elected to the Congress of Deputies one last time in 2000.
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Early Life and Political Beginnings
González was born in Bellavista, Seville, a city in Spain. His father was a small dairy farmer. He studied law at Seville University. He began his career as a lawyer, focusing on laws about work. While at university, he met members of a secret socialist workers' union.
He also connected with members of the PSOE party. He started taking part in their secret activities. This was necessary because the government was a dictatorship. During this time, he used the secret name Isidoro. He was later chosen to be the Secretary General of the PSOE.
When Franco, the dictator, died, González became a very important figure. He was a key leader among those who wanted democracy. He worked with the Prime Minister at the time, Adolfo Suárez. Together, they helped Spain become a democracy.
In 1977, Spain had its first democratic election after Franco's death. The PSOE became the second most popular party. This made González seem like a young and promising leader. He became Prime Minister in 1982.
Leading Spain as Prime Minister
In the 1982 general election, the PSOE won many votes. They gained 202 out of 350 seats in parliament. On 2 December, González became the Prime Minister of Spain. Alfonso Guerra became his deputy. He was the first socialist Prime Minister since the Spanish Civil War. His government was also the first where no members had worked under Franco's rule.
People in Spain had high hopes for change when González was elected. His government made many important changes. They made free education available for longer, up to age 16. University education was also improved and expanded. The system that provides social support, like healthcare and benefits, was also made bigger. González worked to improve Spain's economy.
From 1982 to 1994, Spain spent much more on social programs. This spending increased from 63.7% to 87.6% compared to the European average.
In 1983, the government took over a company called Rumasa. This company included banks and was close to going bankrupt. The government wanted to protect people's savings and the jobs of 60,000 employees. This decision caused some debate, but the courts later supported the government.
In the 1986 general election, the PSOE won again. González was elected Prime Minister for the second time. During this period, Spain joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1986. This was a big step for Spain. González also supported Spain staying in NATO. This was a change from his party's earlier view.
In 1989, he won the general election for the third time. However, his party no longer had a clear majority in parliament.
In 1993, González won the general election for the fourth time. But he had to work with other political parties to form a government. These parties were from Catalonia and the Basque Country.
Towards the end of 1995, there was discussion about whether González should lead the PSOE again. Some people linked his time in office to economic problems. There were also claims of corruption and actions against a terrorist group called ETA.
In the 1996 general election, González's party lost. José María Aznar became the new Prime Minister.
Key Achievements and Changes
The González government made a big impact on Spain's economy and daily life. They expanded highways and airports. They also built new important structures, like high-speed train lines. His governments were the first to create a national plan for public works. This included not just roads, but also theaters, museums, and schools.
A complete social welfare system was also created. This meant better pensions and unemployment benefits. The workweek became 40 hours long. Paid holidays were increased to 30 days a year. Pension funds were set up, and social tourism was introduced. The age for leaving school was raised from 14 to 16. The number of grants for education also increased greatly.
Help for unemployed people was expanded. A national education system for children under six was started. Money was given for social housing, universal healthcare, and education. Benefits for widows, sick people, disabled people, and retirees were also introduced. A Ministry of Social Affairs was created. This allowed social services to be available to all citizens.
The pension system was made available to more people in need. Public schooling was expanded for all children under 16. New universities were also built. Healthcare was reformed, and the Spanish National Health System was created. This improved primary care medicine. González's time as Prime Minister also saw more young people and women in government roles.
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Felipe González also made sure Spain joined the EEC in 1986. This helped strengthen Spain's democratic government. He worked with other European leaders to push for more European integration. He supported a united Germany.
He also started diplomatic relations with Israel. Spain had not had relations with Israel before. González even became the first Spanish head of state to visit Israel in 1991. Spain and Israel officially started diplomatic relations in 1986. Because of his influence, Spain hosted the Madrid Conference of 1991. These were peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis. These talks led to important agreements, like the Oslo I Accord.
In the fight against terrorism, the police had many successes against the ETA group. However, some innocent people were hurt. Investigations led to some police officers and a minister being jailed. But the ETA organization was greatly weakened.
In his final years as Prime Minister, there were some cases of corruption. The most well-known involved the Civil Guard Director, Luis Roldán. These cases reduced public support for the PSOE. However, González and most of his ministers generally left office with their good reputations still in place.
After Being Prime Minister
González finished his fourth term as Prime Minister in May 1996. Since September 1996, he has led the Global Progress Foundation (FPG) in Madrid. In 1997, he surprisingly stepped down as the leader of the PSOE party. He still kept his seat in the Congress. Even without being the leader, he had a lot of influence over the party.
In 1996, González led a group from the OSCE. This group went to Yugoslavia to help with talks between the government and the opposition.
In 1997, he was considered a top candidate to become the President of the European Commission. This important position eventually went to Romano Prodi from Italy.
In 1999, González was put in charge of the party's Global Progress Commission. This was to respond to globalization. His commission's report became the basis for a big declaration at a Socialist International Congress.
He stopped being a member of the Spanish Parliament in March 2004.
In 2007, the Spanish Government appointed him as a special ambassador. His role was to help celebrate 200 years of independence for Latin American countries.
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In 2007, European Union leaders chose González to lead a think tank. This group would study the future of Europe. They were asked to write a report by 2010 about challenges for the European Union from 2020 to 2030. They also looked at how to help citizens understand the Union better.
In 2014, the President of Colombia gave González Colombian nationality.
From 2010 to 2015, González worked as an independent director for Gas Natural-Fenosa. This is a major energy company in Spain.
González is a member of the Club of Madrid. This is a group of former Presidents and Prime Ministers from many different countries.
In 2015, González received an award for his public service in the Americas. This was for his work and dedication to democracy in Latin America.
Personal Life
González married María del Carmen Julia Romero y López in Seville in 1969. They have three children: Pablo, David, and María. He and Carmen Romero divorced in 2008. In 2012, he married Mar García Vaquero.
One of his favorite hobbies is taking care of bonsai trees. While he was Prime Minister, he received and grew many bonsai trees. Most of these were Mediterranean types. He later gave them to the Royal Botanic Garden in Madrid.
Published Works
- "Un discurso ético" (with Víctor Márquez Reviriego, 1982).
- "El Socialismo" (1997).
- "El futuro no es lo que era" (with Juan Luis Cebrián, 2002).
- "Memorias del futuro" (2003).
- "Mi idea de Europa" (2011).
See also
In Spanish: Felipe González para niños
- Governments of Felipe González
- History of Spain
- List of prime ministers of Spain
- Politics of Spain
Images for kids
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Felipe González as a signer of the Dayton Agreement in Paris, 1995.
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Felipe González meets with Shimon Peres in 1986. This helped start diplomatic relations between Spain and Israel.
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Gonzalez at a Global Governance event in Mexico City, 2012.
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Felipe González in 2014.
