News, July 2005

Election campaign in Galicia - Fraga finally out of politics.

The election was on June 19th. At the time of writing the result is still dependent on the counting of the postal vote from overseas, which could swing it back... Manuel Fraga, Spain's longest serving regional president and by far the longest serving politician, was hoping for yet another term in office as president of Galicia, Spain's most north-westerly region. Although polls suggested the Partido Popular would once again get the most votes, both voting and the combined seats of the Socialists and Galician Block (BNG) saw Fraga finaly into retirement - by one.

Founder of the Partido Popular, Fraga had already been involved in politics under the Franco dicatorship. He was born in Vilalba, Lugo, in 1922 to become one in a long line of famous sons of Galicia in Spanish politics. (Franco was also from Galicia, as is the current PP leader, Mariano Rajoy!) He got his first post in 1951 as general secretary of the Instituto de Cultura Hispánica, rising to become 'Information Minister' in 1962. In the pre-transition government, between Franco's death and July 1976 he also did a term as Home (Interior) Minister. He became regional president in 1989.

Catch up on the news/ results at: http://www.xunta.es/index_i.htm

Sources: TVE, El Mundo, Xunta de Galicia...