Spain: former PM Adolfo Suarez close to death

The man who led Spain’s first democratic government after Franco’s dictatorship is on death’s doorstop.

 

Former Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez, 81, was admitted to hospital in Madrid on Monday for a respiratory infection.

His health is said to have deteriorated rapidly due to Alzheimer’s, which he was diagnosed with 11 years ago.  

Son of the former leader, Adolfo Suarez Illana, revealed at a press conference that his father’s death could come at any time.

He said it is unlikely his father will survive beyond the next 48 hours.

Suarez Illana, today said: “We are in God’s hands. The end is imminent.

“But his mischievous look has lasted until the end. In these last days he has made us smile more often than in recent years.”

Suarez Illana also praised his father’s career, noting:  “Without his help, Spain would never have flown so high or so far.”

Reportedly Suarez Illana spoke to the King of Spain and current Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy this morning to inform them of his father’s condition.

Suarez was leader of the Union of the Democratic Center in 1977. He became Spain’s first Prime Minister after the transition to democracy following Franco’s death.  

In 2008, the King and Queen Sofia presented him with the Order of the Golden Fleece, Spain’s highest honour.

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