Francisco Frutos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Frutos
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Paco Frutos in 2005
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| Secretary General of the Communist Party of Spain | |
| In office 7 December 1998 – 8 November 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Julio Anguita |
| Succeeded by | José Luis Centella |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 29 June 1993 – 2 April 2004 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 January 1939 Calella, Barcelona, Spain |
| Died | 26 July 2020 (aged 79) Madrid, Spain |
| Political party | PSUC PCE IU |
| Occupation | Politician, farmer, metal worker |
Francisco "Paco" Frutos Gras (born September 6, 1939 – died July 26, 2020) was a Spanish politician. He was the leader, or Secretary-General, of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) from 1998 to 2009.
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Early Life and Work
Paco Frutos was born on September 6, 1939, in Calella, a town in the province of Barcelona, Spain. His parents were farmers. He worked in agriculture until he was 25 years old. Later, he moved to Germany for a while. When he came back to Spain, he worked in a textile factory in Blanes.
Starting in Politics
In the factory, Paco Frutos became involved in trade unionism. This means he helped organize workers to improve their rights and working conditions. He was an organizer for the Workers' Commissions (CCOO), which was a secret group at the time.
In 1963, he joined the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC). This party was closely linked to the Communist Party of Spain. In the 1970s, he became an important leader in the Workers' Commission of Catalonia. He also represented the union in the Assembly of Catalonia, which is like a regional parliament.
In 1980, Paco Frutos was elected to the Parliament of Catalonia. The next year, he became the General Secretary of the PSUC. He held these positions for a few years.
National Politics
After a change in leadership in the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), Paco Frutos moved to Madrid. He started working with the main leaders of the PCE.
In 1986, a new political group called United Left (IU) was formed. Paco Frutos became a member of its leadership team. In 1988, he was chosen as the Organizational Secretary of the PCE.
In the 1993 elections, Paco Frutos was elected as a deputy for Madrid. This meant he became a member of the Spanish national parliament. He was re-elected in 1996.
Leading the Communist Party
In 1998, the leader of the PCE, Julio Anguita, had health problems. He decided to step down from his role. In December of that year, Paco Frutos was elected as the new General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain.
In 1999, he was asked to be the candidate for Prime Minister for United Left in the 2000 elections. Before these elections, he signed an agreement with another political party, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). After the elections, United Left lost many of its seats in parliament.
Paco Frutos continued to serve as a deputy until 2004. He was re-elected as the General Secretary of the PCE two more times. He held this position until 2009.
Later Years
In October 2017, Paco Frutos spoke at a large event in Barcelona. This event was against the independence movement in Catalonia. He said that the independence movement was based on identity politics. The Communist Party of Spain said that his views did not represent the party.
In July 2018, he helped start a new political party called Izquierda en Positivo. This party wanted to offer a "left-wing and non-nationalist" choice in politics.
Paco Frutos passed away on July 26, 2020.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Frutos para niños
