João Franco

João Franco Ferreira Pinto Castelo Branco ( born February 14, 1855 in Alcaide, Portugal, † 1929) was a conservative politician from the end of the Portuguese monarchy. He was Chairman of the Liberal Party and regeneration 1906-1908 Prime Minister of Portugal.

Life

João Franco studied law at the University of Coimbra. During this time he joined the Conservative Party regeneration, for which he in 1884 for the first time in the Portuguese parliament, the Cortes was chosen. 1890 took over the Regeneration party with António de Serpa Pimentel, the government and João Franco was finance minister. Even in the subsequent bipartisan governments he held as Minister of Public Works and Minister of the Interior important posts. 1900 de Serpa Pimentel died, chairman of the regeneration Party, Rodolfo and Ernesto Hintze Ribeiro followed him in the party chairmanship. This João Franco fell out quickly, so he with a number of followers resigned in 1901 from the regeneration Party and the Liberal Party founded regeneration, whose chairman he was.

The Portuguese monarchy was at that time already in a state of agony. The eccentric King Charles I was not able to acquire the sympathy of his subjects. Foreign policy and economic issues, and the disputes between the monarchists among themselves, which João Franco with the cleavage of regeneration Party, the oldest party in the country, yet contributed, led to an increasing growth of republican movements in the country. The king tried it first with a series of bipartisan governments but appealed in March 1906 again Hintze Ribeiro of the regeneration Party head of government. After it very quickly became apparent that it would Hintze Ribeiro not be able to be the Republican challenge lord the king finally convened on May 19, 1906 João Franco as prime minister.

When his appointment was chaos and anarchy in the country, the opposition between monarchists and republicans threatened to spiral out of control. The monarchists were further weakened by the struggle between regeneration and Progressive party, so that they could not stand up to the increasingly powerful Republicans. The king thought with the appointment of João Franco to seek a new beginning. As a representative of a third force, neither the regeneration nor the Progressive Party belongs, he should agree that the monarchists against republicans.

João Franco also tried, at least at the beginning of his reign, to integrate with a decidedly liberal and against the Republicans this open policy in the political system. As government foreign exchange he gave out, " tolerance and freedom, so that the people learn to appreciate the King's government." One of the first actions of the new government was a far-reaching amnesty, especially from the Republicans, who had violated by their publications against press censorship, benefited. The head of the Republican Bernardino Machado was able to hold onto a public demonstration a speech, without the police intervened. The king tried his reputation also by more direct participation in the government's work to improve and began to attend the meetings of the Cabinet. In the elections of June 1906, the government managed to get a majority. Four Republican members were elected.

The settlement alternative with the Republicans policies but failed. Concealed advances and peace gestures from the government were brusquely rejected by the Republicans.

During a parliamentary session, Rep. Afonso Costa exclaimed, " has made for less than what King Charles with us in France is the head of Louis XVI. rolled in the sand. " For the tablecloth between Republicans and government was cut, the Republican deputies were excluded for three months of the parliamentary sessions. In demonstrations, in which supported the Republicans Afonso Costa, 63 people were arrested. In Porto, 12,000 people came together for a big Republican Congress. 45,000 people signed a petition, the return of the republican deputies in the Parliament demanding what finally happened on December 21, 1906.

After João Franco saw that he was not getting anywhere with this policy, he sought salvation in increasingly repressive measures. The Republicans were suppressed tightened press censorship. João Franco ruled as a dictator, with counter-signed by the king decrees without the intervention of Parliament. Through these measures, the trench grew between the king and his people. Dissidents within the Progressive Party formed an alliance with the Republicans. Beginning in January 1908, a number of leaders of the Republican Party and the Progressive Party dissidents were arrested and convicted on charges of preparing a coup. Franco demanded and received from the king a decree that provided for the deportation of Republican insurgents in the overseas colonies.

This eventually became the straw that broke the camel's back overflow. A day after the king had signed the law, he was murdered and the heir to the throne of Louis Philippe in an assassination attempt in Lisbon (February 1, 1908).

The new King Manuel II was João Franco and his authoritarian politics complicit in the hate in parts of the public against the monarchy, which had eventually led to the death of his father and brother. One of his first actions after his accession he dismissed therefore João Franco. This then played in the politics of his country no more prominent role. The majority of Franco's repressive measures against the Republicans were withdrawn by the subsequent governments again.

Importance

João Franco was the last more or less important Prime Minister of the Portuguese monarchy. After his release, the monarchy should last another two years and still have four prime ministers. However, these reigned only briefly and were already men of transition. Because of his authoritarian policies that widened the gap between monarchy and people, he is often regarded as the " gravedigger of the Portuguese monarchy."