Gabriel Cisneros
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Cisneros Laborda (14 August 1940 Tarazona
, Spain
– 27 July 2007 Murcia
) was a Spanish
politician
and one of the co-authors and "fathers" of the Spanish Constitution of 1978
following Spain
's move to democracy
. He is also credited with helping to write the European Union
's Declaration of Human Rights.
, a conservative Spanish political party
, was one of seven politicians charged with writing the Spanish Constitution of 1978
,
Spain's first democratic constitution
, following the death of dictator Francisco Franco
in 1975. The constitution set the foundation for the Spanish Government
from the 1978 up to the present day. Cisneros is also the author of several other Spanish institutional law
s.
Additional, Cisneros also helped to write laws pertaining to the Basque
statute and autonomy. His work with Basque law made Cisneros a kidnapping
target. Cisneros survived a 1979 kidnap attempt by the Basque separatist group, ETA
. Cisneros managed to fight off and escape two ETA kidnappers, but suffered gunshot wounds to his stomach
and leg
.
Cisneros was a member of the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) and in 1979 was elected to the Spanish Congress of Deputies as member for Soria
. He retained his seat at the 1982 election however the UCD lost 156 of their 168 seats at that election and disbanded in February 1983 after which Cisneros sat as an independent. He did not stand at the 1986 election and temporarily retired from active politics. However he resumed his political activity in 1988 when he joined the Liberal Party. In 1989 that party merged with others to form the current Partido Popular
(PP), a Spanish conservative political party
. At the 1989 General Election he returned to the Spanish Congress as a PP deputy for Burgos
and was re-elected in that district in 1993 and 1996. At the 2000 election he was elected in Zaragoza
and represented that district until his death in 2007. Cisneros held a number of key posts as an MP
.
Cisneros made his last parliamentary appearance in the Cortes Generales
in July 2007 for ceremonies marking the 30th anniversary of Spain's first democratic elections in 1977
. King Juan Carlos honored Cisneros and other key figures of Spain's transition to democracy following Franco's death saying the reformers, "have allowed us to avoid harsh and sterile confrontations in the normal development of our political life."
on 27 July 2007, in Murcia
. His death was announced in Parliament that same day.
, leader of the opposition PP
party, called Cisneros "an extraordinary politician." Spain's governing Socialist Party
also paid tribute to Cisneros: "He contributed in an important way to the consolidation of our democratic system."
Tarazona
Tarazona is a municipality in the Spanish province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarazona and the capital of the Tarazona y el Moncayo Aragonese comarca.- History :...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
– 27 July 2007 Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
) was a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and one of the co-authors and "fathers" of the Spanish Constitution of 1978
Spanish Constitution of 1978
-Structure of the State:The Constitution recognizes the existence of nationalities and regions . Preliminary Title As a result, Spain is now composed entirely of 17 Autonomous Communities and two autonomous cities with varying degrees of autonomy, to the extent that, even though the Constitution...
following Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's move to democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. He is also credited with helping to write the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's Declaration of Human Rights.
Career
Cisneros, a member of the PPPeople's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
, a conservative Spanish political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, was one of seven politicians charged with writing the Spanish Constitution of 1978
Spanish Constitution of 1978
-Structure of the State:The Constitution recognizes the existence of nationalities and regions . Preliminary Title As a result, Spain is now composed entirely of 17 Autonomous Communities and two autonomous cities with varying degrees of autonomy, to the extent that, even though the Constitution...
,
Spain's first democratic constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, following the death of dictator Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
in 1975. The constitution set the foundation for the Spanish Government
Spanish Government
Spain is a constitutional monarchy whose government is defined by the Constitution of Spain. This was approved by a general referendum of the people of Spain in 1978...
from the 1978 up to the present day. Cisneros is also the author of several other Spanish institutional law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
s.
Additional, Cisneros also helped to write laws pertaining to the Basque
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
statute and autonomy. His work with Basque law made Cisneros a kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
target. Cisneros survived a 1979 kidnap attempt by the Basque separatist group, ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
. Cisneros managed to fight off and escape two ETA kidnappers, but suffered gunshot wounds to his stomach
Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...
and leg
Human leg
The human leg is the entire lower extremity or limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh and even the hip or gluteal region; however, the precise definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle.Legs are used for standing,...
.
Cisneros was a member of the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) and in 1979 was elected to the Spanish Congress of Deputies as member for Soria
Soria (Spanish Congress Electoral District)
Soria is one of the 52 electoral districts used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies - the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales...
. He retained his seat at the 1982 election however the UCD lost 156 of their 168 seats at that election and disbanded in February 1983 after which Cisneros sat as an independent. He did not stand at the 1986 election and temporarily retired from active politics. However he resumed his political activity in 1988 when he joined the Liberal Party. In 1989 that party merged with others to form the current Partido Popular
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
(PP), a Spanish conservative political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. At the 1989 General Election he returned to the Spanish Congress as a PP deputy for Burgos
Burgos (Spanish Congress Electoral District)
Burgos is one of the 52 electoral districts used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies - the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. It is one of the nine electoral districts which correspond to the provinces of Castile and León. Burgos is the largest municipality accounting...
and was re-elected in that district in 1993 and 1996. At the 2000 election he was elected in Zaragoza
Zaragoza (Spanish Congress Electoral District)
Zaragoza is one of the 52 electoral districts used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies - the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. It is one of the three electoral districts which correspond to the provinces of Aragon...
and represented that district until his death in 2007. Cisneros held a number of key posts as an MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Cisneros made his last parliamentary appearance in the Cortes Generales
Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate . The Cortes has power to enact any law and to amend the constitution...
in July 2007 for ceremonies marking the 30th anniversary of Spain's first democratic elections in 1977
Spanish general election, 1977
The Spanish general election of 1977 took place on 15 June 1977. It was the first election since the death of Francisco Franco.Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage in a secret ballot. The elections were held using closed list proportional representation in 52 electoral districts...
. King Juan Carlos honored Cisneros and other key figures of Spain's transition to democracy following Franco's death saying the reformers, "have allowed us to avoid harsh and sterile confrontations in the normal development of our political life."
Death
Cisneros died of complications from a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on 27 July 2007, in Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
. His death was announced in Parliament that same day.
Accolades
Mariano RajoyMariano Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy Brey is a Spanish People's Party politician and is the Prime Minister-elect since 20 November 2011. He will be sworn into office in mid-December 2011....
, leader of the opposition PP
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
party, called Cisneros "an extraordinary politician." Spain's governing Socialist Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
also paid tribute to Cisneros: "He contributed in an important way to the consolidation of our democratic system."