Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo

Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo - Bustelo ( Marqués de la Ría de Ribadeo; born April 14, 1926 in Madrid, Spain; † 3 May 2008 Pozuelo de Alarcón ) was a conservative Spanish politician and from February 1981 to December 1982 Prime Minister of his country.

Life

Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo - 1951 concluded his engineering degree and a Ph.D. in 1960. Between 1967 and 1968 he was president of the RENFE ( Spanish National Railways ), then CEO of the chemical company Unión Explosivos Riotinto.

Political offices

As representatives of the chemical company he belonged from 1971 to 1975 the Cortes, the unelected interest group representation during the Franco regime.

It was after the death of Francisco Franco between December 1975 and July 1976 Minister of Economic Affairs and later Minister in various departments (especially Public Buildings ) in government of Adolfo Suárez, his predecessor as prime minister.

Prime minister

In 1981 he was a leading candidate of the National Coalition Party Unión de Centro Democrático (UCD) even elected Prime Minister. During his election as Prime Minister on 23 February 1981, the ultimately failed coup attempt of Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero in Spain was known as 23-F instead. Most important decision of his tenure was the Spain's accession to NATO in May 1982. Calvo Sotelo - ruled until December 1982. According to a disastrous defeat of UCD, he was replaced by the socialist opposition candidate Felipe González.

Later career

From 1986 to 1989 Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, was a member of the European parliament. On 25 June 2002, he was appointed by King Juan Carlos I and grandees for the Marquis of the Ría de Ribadeo. Calvo Sotelo - was also a member of the Real Academia de Ciencias Morales y Politicas.