Itamar Franco
Encyclopedia
Itamar Augusto Cautiero Franco (itɐˈmaʁ ˈfɾɐ̃ku; June 28, 1930 July 2, 2011) was a Brazilian politician and the President of Brazil from December 29, 1992, to January 1, 1995. During his long political career, Franco was also a Senator
, Mayor, Ambassador, Governor and Vice President. At the time of his death he was a Senator from Minas Gerais
, having won the seat in the 2010 election.
. On his father's side he was of partial German descent
(the Stiebler family from Minas Gerais
), while on the mother's side he was of Italian descent
, with both of his maternal grandparents having emigrated to Brazil from Italy
. His mother's name was "Itália", which means "Italy" in Portuguese and Italian. Franco's father died prior to his birth.
Franco was named Itamar because he was born on board the ship Ita, at sea (in Portuguese
Mar). His family was from Juiz de Fora
, Minas Gerais, where he grew up and became a civil engineer in 1955, graduating from the School of Engineering of Juiz de Fora
.
As a member of the National Constituent Assembly which began on February 1, 1987, Franco voted for severance of relations between Brazil and countries that develop a policy of racial discrimination (as was then the case of South Africa), the establishment of the writ of mandamus Collective; 50% more pay for overtime after a forty hour work-week, the legalization of abortion, the continuous shift of six hours of notice proportional to length of service, the union unity, popular sovereignty, the nationalization of subsoil, the nationalization of the financial system of a limiting the payment of external debt burden and creating a fund to support land reform.
Meanwhile, he voted against propositions to reintroduce the death penalty, confirming the presidential system
and extension of President José Sarney
's term, whom he opposed and called for removal for an alleged corruption. Ironically, when Franco became President, Sarney became one of his allies.
. A main reason behind Franco's selection was that he represented one of the largest states (in contrast to Collor, who was from small state of Alagoas
), and publicly he gained during his call for impeachment against President José Sarney
for an alleged corruption.
Collor and Franco won a very narrow election against a man who would later become President (2002–2010), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
.
Once in office, Franco broke with Collor, threatening a resignation several times, as he disagreed with some of the President's policies, especially regarding privatization
, voicing his opposition openly.
In 1992, Collor was charged with corruption and was impeached
by the Congress. Under the Brazilian Constitution, an impeached president's powers are suspended for 180 days. As such, Franco served as acting president from October 1992 until Collor resigned on December 29, at which point he formally took office as president.
When he became acting President, despite having been Vice President for nearly three years, polls showed that the majority of the population did not know who he was.
, who launched the "Plano Real
" that stabilized the economy and ended inflation.
In an unusual gesture, moments before taking office, Franco handed senators a piece of paper on which he had listed his personal net worth and properties. Initially his approval rating reached 60 percent.
After the troubled Collor Presidency, Franco quickly installed a politically-balanced cabinet and sought broad support in Congress.
During his Presidency, in April 1993, Brazil held a long-announced referendum to determine the political system
(remaining a Republic or restoration of the Monarchy) and the form of government (presidential or parliamentary system). The Republican slash presidential system prevailed by large majorities respectively.
In 1993 Franco resisted a calls from various military and civilian offices to shut down the Congress, which was described by some sources as a "coup attempt".
His administration is credited for restoring integrity and stability in government, particularly after the troubled Collor presidency. The President himself kept his reputation of honesty and his personal style was viewed as very different from Collor's, who practiced "an imperial and ceremonious presidential role". On the other hand Franco's own personal behavior was sometimes described as temperamental and eccentric.
In late 1993, Franco offered a resignation in order to call an earlier election, but Congress turned it down.
At the end of term, Franco's job approval rating soared to nearly 80–90 percent, a record unbeaten to date.
.
Also during his Government, Brazil ratified important pacts (for example the Tlatelolco Treaty and a quadripartite agreement also involving Argentina
and the International Atomic Energy Agency
on full-scope safeguards), which set Brazil on the nonproliferation path.
in Washington, DC, until 1998.
Franco considered a presidential run in 1998, but ultimately backed off after constitution changes allowed Cardoso to run again. However, he was elected governor of Minas Gerais in 1998 against the Cardoso-supported incumbent in a landslide, and as soon as he took office, he enacted a moratorium on state debt payments, worsening the national economic crisis. Itamar Franco served in the govenor's seat until 2003 (declining to seek reelection and supporting the eventual winning candidate Aécio Neves
) and was then has been the ambassador in Italy
, until leaving the position in 2005. During the 2002 presidential election, Franco endorsed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
, who got elected, even if he, again, declined to run himself.
Having unsuccessfully sought, at age 76, the PMDB presidential nomination in 2006
, he backed Geraldo Alckmin
against Lula, despite having been considered again, despite his advanced age, as a candidate for President in 2010
.
Franco ran instead for to be a Senator
from Minas, and won the race along with Neves.
He authored some 19 published works, ranging from discussions on nuclear energy to short stories.
, Franco was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital
, in São Paulo
, on May 21, 2011. On June 27, his condition worsened and he developed severe pneumonia
, being taken to ICU and placed under mechanical ventilation
. He died in the morning of Saturday July 2, 2011, after suffering a stroke. Seven days of mourning were declared by President Dilma Rousseff
. After lying in state in the town of Juiz de Fora
, his political base, and in Belo Horizonte
, the capital of Minas Gerais
, his body was cremated on Monday, July 4, 2011, in Contagem
, in the metropolitan area of that city.
Senate of Brazil
The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
, Mayor, Ambassador, Governor and Vice President. At the time of his death he was a Senator from Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
, having won the seat in the 2010 election.
Early life and family background
Franco was born prematurely at sea, aboard a ship traveling between Salvador and Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. On his father's side he was of partial German descent
German Brazilian
A German Brazilian is a Brazilian person of ethnic German ancestry or origin...
(the Stiebler family from Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
), while on the mother's side he was of Italian descent
Italian Brazilian
-Italian immigration to Brazil:The Italian government claims there are 25 million Brazilians of Italian descent, which would be the largest population of Italian background outside of Italy itself. There are no actual surveys, or even verifiable calculations supporting such claims. According to...
, with both of his maternal grandparents having emigrated to Brazil from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. His mother's name was "Itália", which means "Italy" in Portuguese and Italian. Franco's father died prior to his birth.
Franco was named Itamar because he was born on board the ship Ita, at sea (in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
Mar). His family was from Juiz de Fora
Juiz de Fora
-Industry, Trade, and Culture:Juiz de Fora is the second most important industrial center in the state of Minas Gerais, despite being the fourth largest in terms of population. It was once the state's largest city, position which was held up until the beginning of the 20th century...
, Minas Gerais, where he grew up and became a civil engineer in 1955, graduating from the School of Engineering of Juiz de Fora
School of Engineering of Juiz de Fora
School of Engineering of Juiz de Fora is a school in Brazil.Currently "Faculdade de Engenharia de Juiz de Fora" . It was set up in 1914 in the city of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, and taught a five-year course of Civil and Eletrotechnic Engineering...
.
Career before Vice Presidency
Entering politics in the mid-1950s, Franco first served as alderman and deputy mayor of Juiz de Fora, before getting elected as mayor (1967 to 1971 and again from 1973 to 1974). He resigned as mayor in 1974 and ran successfully for the Federal Senate as a representative of Minas Gerais. He soon became a senior figure in the MDB (Movimento Democrático Brasileiro – Brazilian Democratic Movement he was deputy leader twice, in 1976 and 1977), the official opposition to the military regime that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985. Re-elected as a senator in 1982, he was defeated in an attempt to be elected governor of Minas Gerais in 1986 as a candidate of the Liberal Party (PL). During his tenure he was one of the key figures of (then failed) initiative to immediate restoration of the direct elections for President. During his Senate term, Franco served as PL leader in that chamber.As a member of the National Constituent Assembly which began on February 1, 1987, Franco voted for severance of relations between Brazil and countries that develop a policy of racial discrimination (as was then the case of South Africa), the establishment of the writ of mandamus Collective; 50% more pay for overtime after a forty hour work-week, the legalization of abortion, the continuous shift of six hours of notice proportional to length of service, the union unity, popular sovereignty, the nationalization of subsoil, the nationalization of the financial system of a limiting the payment of external debt burden and creating a fund to support land reform.
Meanwhile, he voted against propositions to reintroduce the death penalty, confirming the presidential system
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
and extension of President José Sarney
José Sarney
José Sarney de Araújo Costa is a Brazilian lawyer, writer and politician. He served as president of Brazil from 15 March 1985 to 15 March 1990....
's term, whom he opposed and called for removal for an alleged corruption. Ironically, when Franco became President, Sarney became one of his allies.
Vice Presidency
In 1989, Franco left PL and joined the small PRN (National Reconstruction Party) to be selected the running-mate of the presidential candidate Fernando Collor de MelloFernando Collor de Mello
Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello was the 32nd president of Brazil from 1990 to 1992, when he resigned in a failed attempt to stop his trial of impeachment by the Brazilian Senate...
. A main reason behind Franco's selection was that he represented one of the largest states (in contrast to Collor, who was from small state of Alagoas
Alagoas
Alagoas is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco ; Sergipe ; Bahia ; and the Atlantic Ocean . It occupies an area of 27,767 km², being slightly larger than Haiti...
), and publicly he gained during his call for impeachment against President José Sarney
José Sarney
José Sarney de Araújo Costa is a Brazilian lawyer, writer and politician. He served as president of Brazil from 15 March 1985 to 15 March 1990....
for an alleged corruption.
Collor and Franco won a very narrow election against a man who would later become President (2002–2010), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
.
Once in office, Franco broke with Collor, threatening a resignation several times, as he disagreed with some of the President's policies, especially regarding privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
, voicing his opposition openly.
In 1992, Collor was charged with corruption and was impeached
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
by the Congress. Under the Brazilian Constitution, an impeached president's powers are suspended for 180 days. As such, Franco served as acting president from October 1992 until Collor resigned on December 29, at which point he formally took office as president.
When he became acting President, despite having been Vice President for nearly three years, polls showed that the majority of the population did not know who he was.
Domestic policy and presidential style
Franco took power as Brazil was in the midst of a severe economic crisis, with inflation reaching 1,110% in 1992 and rocketing to almost 2,400% in 1993. Franco developed a reputation as a mercurial leader, but he selected as his Finance Minister Fernando Henrique CardosoFernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso – also known by his initials FHC – was the 34th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil for two terms from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2002. He is an accomplished sociologist, professor and politician...
, who launched the "Plano Real
Plano Real
The Plano Real was a set of measures taken to stabilize the Brazilian economy in early 1994, under the direction of Fernando Henrique Cardoso as the Minister of Finance, during the presidency of Itamar Franco....
" that stabilized the economy and ended inflation.
In an unusual gesture, moments before taking office, Franco handed senators a piece of paper on which he had listed his personal net worth and properties. Initially his approval rating reached 60 percent.
After the troubled Collor Presidency, Franco quickly installed a politically-balanced cabinet and sought broad support in Congress.
During his Presidency, in April 1993, Brazil held a long-announced referendum to determine the political system
Brazilian constitutional referendum, 1993
The 1993 Brazilian constitutional referendum was held on April 21, 1993 to determine the form of government of the country. After the re-democratization of Brazil, an amendment in the new Constitution determined the holding of a referendum for voters to decide if the country should have a...
(remaining a Republic or restoration of the Monarchy) and the form of government (presidential or parliamentary system). The Republican slash presidential system prevailed by large majorities respectively.
In 1993 Franco resisted a calls from various military and civilian offices to shut down the Congress, which was described by some sources as a "coup attempt".
His administration is credited for restoring integrity and stability in government, particularly after the troubled Collor presidency. The President himself kept his reputation of honesty and his personal style was viewed as very different from Collor's, who practiced "an imperial and ceremonious presidential role". On the other hand Franco's own personal behavior was sometimes described as temperamental and eccentric.
In late 1993, Franco offered a resignation in order to call an earlier election, but Congress turned it down.
At the end of term, Franco's job approval rating soared to nearly 80–90 percent, a record unbeaten to date.
Foreign policy
Despite being sometimes described as a "man with limited diplomatic skills", Franco is credited with launching of idea of a free trade zone covering the whole of South America, which was praised by such leaders as U.S. President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Also during his Government, Brazil ratified important pacts (for example the Tlatelolco Treaty and a quadripartite agreement also involving Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and the International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
on full-scope safeguards), which set Brazil on the nonproliferation path.
After the Presidency
Fernando Henrique Cardoso became the official (sometimes described as Franco's hand-picked) candidate to succeed Franco and was elected President in late 1994. Franco, however, soon became a severe critic of Cardoso's government and disagreed with the privatization program. Thereafter, he served as the Ambassador to Portugal in Lisbon and then as Ambassador to the Organization of American StatesOrganization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington, DC, until 1998.
Franco considered a presidential run in 1998, but ultimately backed off after constitution changes allowed Cardoso to run again. However, he was elected governor of Minas Gerais in 1998 against the Cardoso-supported incumbent in a landslide, and as soon as he took office, he enacted a moratorium on state debt payments, worsening the national economic crisis. Itamar Franco served in the govenor's seat until 2003 (declining to seek reelection and supporting the eventual winning candidate Aécio Neves
Aécio Neves
Aécio Neves da Cunha is a Brazilian economist and politician; he was the Governor of Minas Gerais from 2003 to 2010 and is currently a member of the Brazilian Federal Senate. Born in Belo Horizonte, on March 10, 1960, he is the youngest governor in the state's history...
) and was then has been the ambassador in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, until leaving the position in 2005. During the 2002 presidential election, Franco endorsed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
, who got elected, even if he, again, declined to run himself.
Having unsuccessfully sought, at age 76, the PMDB presidential nomination in 2006
Brazilian general election, 2006
The 2006 election were marked by the now extinct "verticalization rule", which forced parties to form coalitions on a state level with the same parties with which they were allied nationwide. This rule was introduced at the 2002 general elections by the Supreme Electoral Court.All Chamber of...
, he backed Geraldo Alckmin
Geraldo Alckmin
Geraldo José Rodrigues Alckmin Filho , known as Geraldo Alckmin is a Brazilian politician, who has been elected as the new governor of São Paulo, doing it for the second time, and former candidate for president of Brazil in the 2006 Elections...
against Lula, despite having been considered again, despite his advanced age, as a candidate for President in 2010
Brazilian general election, 2010
The first round of the Brazilian general election of 2010 was held on Sunday, October 3, 2010. The Presidency of the Republic, all 513 Chamber of Deputies seats and 54 out of 81 Federal Senate seats were contested in this election, along with governorships and state legislatures of all 26 states...
.
Franco ran instead for to be a Senator
Senate of Brazil
The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
from Minas, and won the race along with Neves.
Personal life
Franco was divorced in 1971 and had two daughters. Before and during his presidency he had a reputation as a ladies' man and his personal life was a subject of huge public interest.He authored some 19 published works, ranging from discussions on nuclear energy to short stories.
Death
Having been diagnosed with leukemiaLeukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, Franco was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital
Albert Einstein Hospital
The Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein is one of the most important Brazilian hospitals, located in the Morumbi district, west zone of São Paulo city, Brazil....
, in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, on May 21, 2011. On June 27, his condition worsened and he developed severe pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, being taken to ICU and placed under mechanical ventilation
Mechanical ventilation
In medicine, mechanical ventilation is a method to mechanically assist or replace spontaneous breathing. This may involve a machine called a ventilator or the breathing may be assisted by a physician, respiratory therapist or other suitable person compressing a bag or set of bellows...
. He died in the morning of Saturday July 2, 2011, after suffering a stroke. Seven days of mourning were declared by President Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva....
. After lying in state in the town of Juiz de Fora
Juiz de Fora
-Industry, Trade, and Culture:Juiz de Fora is the second most important industrial center in the state of Minas Gerais, despite being the fourth largest in terms of population. It was once the state's largest city, position which was held up until the beginning of the 20th century...
, his political base, and in Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
, the capital of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
, his body was cremated on Monday, July 4, 2011, in Contagem
Contagem
Contagem is a city in the center of the state of Minas Gerais, in Brazil. It is located only 21 kilometers from the capital, Belo Horizonte and forms part of a metropolitan area with a population of 4.8 million....
, in the metropolitan area of that city.