Second government of Adolfo Suárez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 2nd government of Adolfo Suárez
Government of Spain
1977–1979
Adolfo Suárez in March 1978.
Date formed	5 July 1977
Date dissolved	6 April 1979
People and organisations
Monarch	Juan Carlos I
Prime Minister	Adolfo Suárez
Deputy Prime Ministers	Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado1st, Enrique Fuentes Quintana2nd, Fernando Abril Martorell3rd (1977–1978) Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado1st, Fernando Abril Martorell2nd (1978–1979)
No. of ministers	19 (1977; 1978) 18 (1977–1978; 1978–1979)
Total no. of members	24
Member party	UCD
Status in legislature	Minority government
Opposition party	PSOE
Opposition leader	Felipe González
History
Election(s)	1977 general election
Outgoing election	1979 general election
Legislature term(s)	Constituent Cortes
Budget(s)	1978
Predecessor	Suárez I
Successor	Suárez III

The second government of Adolfo Suárez was formed on 5 July 1977, following the latter's confirmation as Prime Minister of Spain by King Juan Carlos I on 17 June, as a result of the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) emerging as the largest parliamentary force at the 1977 general election. It succeeded the first Suárez government and was the Government of Spain from 5 July 1977 to 6 April 1979, a total of 640 days, or 1 year, 9 months and 1 day.

Suárez's second cabinet was initially made up by independents and members from the political parties that had run within the UCD alliance, most of whom would end up joining it upon its transformation into a full-fledged political party. It was automatically dismissed on 2 March 1979 as a consequence of the 1979 general election, but remained in acting capacity until the next government was sworn in.

Cabinet changes

Suárez's second government saw a number of cabinet changes during its tenure:

• On 1 September 1977, the Ministry of Culture and Welfare was renamed as Ministry of Culture, with a restructuring of the ministerial department that saw some of its competences transferred to other ministries, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• On 27 September 1977, Ignacio Camuñas stepped down as Deputy Minister of Relations with the Cortes, without portfolio, over political discrepancies on the UCD's composition as a unitary political party. After his resignation, Camuñas's office was discontinued.
• On 11 February 1978, Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo was appointed to the newly created post of Minister of Relations with the European Communities, without portfolio.
• On 25 February 1978, a major cabinet reshuffle resulting from the resignation of Enrique Fuentes Quintana saw Fernando Abril Martorell being reassigned as new Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy; Manuel Jiménez de Parga was replaced as Minister of Labour by Rafael Calvo Ortega; Agustín Rodríguez Sahagún replaced Alberto Oliart in the Ministry of Industry and Energy; Jaime Lamo de Espinosa became new Minister of Agriculture in place of José Enrique Martínez Genique; and the Ministry of Transport and Communications saw the change from José Lladó to Salvador Sánchez-Terán.
• On 23 March 1979, Landelino Lavilla was elected President of the Congress of Deputies of the 1st Legislature, a position incompatible with his post as acting Minister of Justice. Rodolfo Martín Villa, acting Minister of the Interior, took on the ordinary duties of the affairs of Lavilla's vacant ministry.

Council of Ministers

The Council of Ministers was structured into the offices for the prime minister, the three deputy prime ministers and 18 ministries, including a number of deputy ministers without portfolio. From February 1978, the council would only include two deputy prime ministers.

See also

In Spanish: Segundo Gobierno Suárez para niños