H.E. Felipe Gonzalez

Former President, Spain & President, The Felipe Gonzalez Foundation

Bio Current as of April 14, 2023

Born in Seville in 1942, Felipe Gonzalez is one of the most important political figures in Spanish history in the second half of the 20th century.

His political career began in 1962, the year in which he joined the Socialist Youth Movement. In 1964, he joined the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, then a clandestine party. He was elected Secretary General of the PSOE at the Suresnes congress in 1974, remaining in office until 1997. He then served as the third President of the Government of Spain, since the reinstatement of democracy in 1978, between 1982 and 1996. He played a prominent role in Spain’s democratic transition and is largely responsible for the modernization of Spain. He also oversaw Spain’s complete integration into Europe during his years of government.

In 2016, he launched the Felipe González Foundation, with the aim of making his documentary archive available to all citizens, as well as organizing and supporting activities and projects that contribute to equal opportunity and offer tools to face the challenges of the 21st century as a society.

Felipe González is a member of various institutions and foundations, either as an honorary member or patron. In addition, he has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Christ of the Portuguese Republic, the Grand Gold Cross of Merit for the Republic of Austria, the Madrid Medal of Honor, and is a Knight of the Collar of the Order of Isabel the Catholic and he is the Favorite Son of Seville and Andalusia, among other distinctions, in addition to being Doctor “Honoris Causa” from the Universities of Louvain, Toulouse and Tel-Aviv.

He has also published several books, among which are: What is Socialism (1976), Memories of the future: Reflections on the present time (2003), My idea of Europe (2010), and In search of answers: Leadership in times of crisis (2013).

In 2014 he was granted Colombian nationality and in 2022 Dominican nationality. 

He is the father of three children and grandfather of eight grandchildren. He was married from 1969 to 2008 to Carmen Romero López and is currently married to Mar García-Vaquero Vela in his second marriage since 2012. The former president continues to be active in various current affairs in Europe and Latin America.