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Rodolfo Martín Villa
(Martín Villa) Adolfo Suárez conversa con el lehendakari del Gobierno Vasco en presencia del ministro de Administración Territorial en el Palacio de Ajuria Enea - Pool Moncloa (1980-12-09) (cropped).jpeg
Martín Villa in 1980
First Deputy Prime Minister of Spain
In office
1 December 1981 – 28 July 1982
Prime Minister Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo
Preceded by Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado
Succeeded by Alfonso Guerra
Minister of Interior
In office
5 July 1976 – 6 April 1979
Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez
Preceded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne
Succeeded by Antonio Ibáñez Freire
Minister for Trade Union Relations
In office
12 December 1975 – 5 July 1976
Prime Minister Carlos Arias Navarro
Personal details
Born (1934-10-03) 3 October 1934 (age 90)
Santa María del Páramo, Second Spanish Republic
Nationality Spanish
Political party
Alma mater Technical University of Madrid

Rodolfo Martín Villa was born on 3 October 1934. He is a Spanish engineer and a well-known politician. He held important roles in the Spanish government during a time of big changes for the country. This period is known as the Spanish transition to democracy. He served as a minister and even as the First Deputy Prime Minister.

Early Life and Education

Rodolfo Martín Villa was born in a place called Santa María del Páramo. This town is located in León, Spain. His birthday is on 3 October 1934.

He went to the Technical University of Madrid. There, he earned a university degree in engineering. This education helped him in his future career.

A Look at His Career

Martín Villa started his professional life as an industrial engineer. He also worked as a tax inspector. These jobs gave him a strong understanding of how things work in business and government.

In February 1962, he took on a leadership role. He became the head of the Sindicato Español Universitario. This was a university student organization. He held this position until December 1964.

Joining the Government

Martín Villa was a member of a political party. It was called the Union of the Democratic Centre. Before becoming a minister, he was the civil governor of Barcelona. This meant he was in charge of local administration in that important city.

In 1975, he was appointed as the Minister for Trade Union Relations. He worked in this role until 1976. This position involved dealing with labor unions and workers' rights.

Serving as Interior Minister

On 5 July 1976, he became the Interior Minister. This was in the first government led by Adolfo Suárez. As Interior Minister, he was responsible for the country's internal security. He also oversaw local government and civil rights.

In 1977, Spain held its first democratic elections since 1936. Martín Villa won a seat in these elections. He represented León for his party. After the election, he continued as Interior Minister. He tried to make some changes to the Spanish police. However, these changes were difficult to achieve. His time as Interior Minister ended on 6 April 1979.

Other Important Roles

In September 1980, Martín Villa took on a new role. He was appointed Minister of the Regions. This meant he worked on issues related to different parts of Spain.

Later, he served as the First Deputy Prime Minister. This was a very high position in the government. He held this role from 1 December 1981 to 28 July 1982.

He continued to be a member of the Spanish Parliament. He was elected in 1979 and 1982. In February 1983, he stepped down from his seat. However, he returned to Parliament in 1989. This time, he was a member of the People's Party. He represented Madrid. He stayed in Parliament until February 1997.

Work in Business

Beyond politics, Martín Villa also worked in the business world. He was a board member of Caja de Madrid. This was a large savings and loans institution.

In February 1997, he became the chairman of Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales. This is a state-owned industrial holding company. From 1997 to 2002, he was the chairman of Endesa. Endesa is a major electricity company in Spain. After that, he became the honorary chairman of the company.

In 2006, he was appointed chairman of Sogecable. This company provides pay-TV services in Spain. His term there ended in October 2010. He also served on an advisory committee for a group called FRIDE.

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See also

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