Manuel Fraga Iribarne
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Manuel Fraga Iribarne (born November 23, 1922 at Vilalba, Galicia) is the president of the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia.
His mother was a French Basque Catholic. He graduated in Law, and began his political career during General Franco's dictatorship, being ambassador in London and then minister for Information and Tourism, where he launched the modern Spanish tourist industry under the slogan Spain is different!. In 1966 he dispelled fears of a nuclear accident at Palomares by swimming in the allegedly contaminated water. He also introduced a censorship law which allowed for greater freedom of the press. He then became Interior Minister, where he declared that "¡La calle es mía!" ("The streets are mine!"). In the last years of Franco Fraga was seen as one of the reformers seeking a liberalisation from within the regime.
After Franco's death democracy returned to Spain. Fraga formed a right-wing party called People's Alliance (AP). The party was ignored in its first years, but gained popularity when the Democratic Center Union, a moderate right wing party which won the first two elections after Franco's death) disbanded, with most of its members joining AP.
In December 1986 Fraga resigned the presidency of the party. Fraga became president of Galicia in 1990, where he remains. In late 2002, when an oil tanker ship called Prestige sank near Galician coast, Fraga saw his credibility damaged, since he was hunting at the time and was said to be slow to react.
In 2005, he is running again for the presidency of Galicia at the age of 82. The latest polls show that Fraga's People's Party may lose its current absolute majority in the local parliament and his reelection may be in danger.ca:Manuel Fraga Iribarne de:Manuel Fraga Iribarne eo:Manuel FRAGA IRIBARNE es:Manuel Fraga Iribarne gl:Manuel Fraga Iribarne pt:Manuel Fraga Iribarne