Joaquín Ruiz-Giménez
Encyclopedia
Joaquín Ruiz-Giménez Cortés (Hoyo de Manzanares
, Madrid, August 2, 1913 - Madrid
, August 27, 2009) was a Spanish
politician and jurist. He was minister of Education under Franco
(1951-1955) but he drifted apart from the regime since 1956 and, adopting a Christian Democrat position, steadily started to promote a quiet transition to democracy, especially through Cuadernos para el Diálogo magazine. He was considered one of the most relevant figures of the moderate inner opposition to Francoism. Failing to play a relevant role during the 1977 democratic elections
, he was later elected as the first Spanish Ombudsman
.
politician who was minister twice under Alfonso XIII and mayor of Madrid
. While student at the University of Madrid
, he participated actively in the students’ catholic organizations and in 1935 he was elected secretary-general of the National Catholic Students Confederation. After the Civil War
broke out he was imprisoned several times, but finally released he sought asylum at the Panama
nian embassy, and thus he was evacuated to Marseilles via Valencia. Then, he joined the Nationalist Army and served in the front of Segovia
, Teruel
and Maestrazgo
.
After the war, he graduated in Arts and held a doctorate in Law. He was appointed councilor at the Madrid city council and the same time he was Law professor at the University of Madrid. He was elected president of the Pax Romana organization
between 1939 and 1946. He collaborated actively in the redaction of the Fuero de los Españoles, i.e. a sort of bill of rights promulgated by Franco in 1945. He was appointed director of the Hispanic Culture Institute (1946-1948) and ambassador to the Holy See
(1948-1951), where he negotiated the terms of the 1953 Concordat
.
Meanwhile, in 1963 he founded Cuadernos para el Diálogo, a political and cultural magazine that was very relevant for the Spanish political life of the 1960s and 1970s because it hosted the moderate debate about the future evolution of Spain toward a more pluralistic, participative and European-minded situation. Cuadernos para el Diálogo was the most dissident option within the legal narrow framework of freedom of speech allowed during the last decades of Franco’s dictatorship. Ruiz-Giménez himself was considered the leader of the Spanish Christian Democrats left wing.
In June 1975 he joined the underground Democratic Convergence Platform, which gathered a wide array of anti-Francoist organizations, including Social Democrats and Communists. Nevertheless, the Christian Democracy had very little option during the first democratic elections in 1977, as its political room was occupied mainly by the Suárez’s
UCD. Ruiz-Giménez’s Democratic Left joined the Christian Democratic Federation coalition, that dissolved after its meager 1 per cent of the ballots.
Hoyo de Manzanares
Hoyo de Manzanares is a municipality of the Community of Madrid, Spain....
, Madrid, August 2, 1913 - Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, August 27, 2009) 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 and jurist. He was minister of Education under 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...
(1951-1955) but he drifted apart from the regime since 1956 and, adopting a Christian Democrat position, steadily started to promote a quiet transition to democracy, especially through Cuadernos para el Diálogo magazine. He was considered one of the most relevant figures of the moderate inner opposition to Francoism. Failing to play a relevant role during the 1977 democratic elections
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...
, he was later elected as the first Spanish Ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
.
Early life
Ruiz-Giménez was son of Joaquín Ruiz Jiménez, LiberalLiberal Party (Spanish Restoration)
The Liberal Party was a Spanish political party created in 1880 by Práxedes Mateo Sagasta. With the Partido Conservador of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, it formed a bipartite system of alternating governments that characterised the Spanish Restoration during the final part of the 19th century and...
politician who was minister twice under Alfonso XIII and mayor of Madrid
Mayor of Madrid
The Mayor of Madrid is an elected politician who, along with Madrid City Council, is accountable for the strategic government of Madrid....
. While student at the University of Madrid
University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid is a public university in Madrid, Spain, and one of the oldest universities in the world.The University of Madrid may also refer to:* The Autonomous University of Madrid, a public university founded in 1968...
, he participated actively in the students’ catholic organizations and in 1935 he was elected secretary-general of the National Catholic Students Confederation. After the Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
broke out he was imprisoned several times, but finally released he sought asylum at the Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian embassy, and thus he was evacuated to Marseilles via Valencia. Then, he joined the Nationalist Army and served in the front of Segovia
Segovia (province)
Segovia is a province of central/northern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Burgos, Soria, Guadalajara, Madrid, Ávila, and Valladolid....
, Teruel
Teruel (province)
Teruel is a province of Aragon, in the northeast of Spain. The capital is Teruel.It is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia , Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Zaragoza....
and Maestrazgo
Maestrazgo
The Maestrazgo or Maestrat is a natural and historic mountainous region, located at the eastern end of the Iberian System mountain range, in Spain. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, in Castellón province, and parts of the east of the Aragonese province of Teruel...
.
After the war, he graduated in Arts and held a doctorate in Law. He was appointed councilor at the Madrid city council and the same time he was Law professor at the University of Madrid. He was elected president of the Pax Romana organization
Pax Romana (organization)
Pax Romana - the international federation of Catholic intellectuals, one of the oldest international lay Catholic movements. It was created in two stages: in 1921 IMCS/ and 1947 as a response of Catholic university lecturers and students to the need to build a peaceful world after experience of...
between 1939 and 1946. He collaborated actively in the redaction of the Fuero de los Españoles, i.e. a sort of bill of rights promulgated by Franco in 1945. He was appointed director of the Hispanic Culture Institute (1946-1948) and ambassador to the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
(1948-1951), where he negotiated the terms of the 1953 Concordat
Concordat
A concordat is an agreement between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters. Legally, they are international treaties. They often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country...
.
From Francoist minister to Christian Democrat dissident
In 1951, Franco appointed him minister of National Education. He established a special commission to rehabilitate some teachers and scholars who were previously expelled from their tenures by the Francoism. His political stance was gradually sympathetic toward the Christian Democracy. In 1956 he confronted the minister of Interior about a students’ riot and he was finally dismissed. Franco appointed him afterwards National Counselor with seat in the Parliament. He resigned from this office in 1965.Meanwhile, in 1963 he founded Cuadernos para el Diálogo, a political and cultural magazine that was very relevant for the Spanish political life of the 1960s and 1970s because it hosted the moderate debate about the future evolution of Spain toward a more pluralistic, participative and European-minded situation. Cuadernos para el Diálogo was the most dissident option within the legal narrow framework of freedom of speech allowed during the last decades of Franco’s dictatorship. Ruiz-Giménez himself was considered the leader of the Spanish Christian Democrats left wing.
In June 1975 he joined the underground Democratic Convergence Platform, which gathered a wide array of anti-Francoist organizations, including Social Democrats and Communists. Nevertheless, the Christian Democracy had very little option during the first democratic elections in 1977, as its political room was occupied mainly by the Suárez’s
Adolfo Suárez
Adolfo Suárez y González, 1st Duke of Suárez, Grandee of Spain, KOGF is a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and the key figure in the country's transition to democracy.-Parents:He is a son of...
UCD. Ruiz-Giménez’s Democratic Left joined the Christian Democratic Federation coalition, that dissolved after its meager 1 per cent of the ballots.
First Spanish Ombudsman
After his withdrawal from the political forefront, Ruiz-Giménez was appointed Ombudsman, the first one in holding this office in Spain (1982-1987). During his later years, he enjoyed a great prestige among both left and right. He involved in several humanitarian and human-rights NGOs, presided the Spanish Committee of UNICEF (1989-2001), vice-presided the Spanish Commission of Relief to Refugees, and has been awarded and decorated several times for his philanthropic activity.Writings
- La concepción institucional del derecho, Madrid: Instituto de Estudios Políticos, 1944
- Derecho y vida humana. Algunas reflexiones a la luz de Santo Tomás, Madrid: Instituto de Estudios Políticos, 1944
- Introducción elemental a la filosofía jurídica cristiana, Madrid: Epesa, 1945
- Pío XII, la familia y otros temas, Madrid: Epesa, 1958
- La política, deber y derecho del hombre, Madrid: Epesa, 1958
- Introducción a la filosofía jurídica, Madrid: Epesa, 1960
- El ser de España, Madrid: Aguilar, 1963
- El Concilio Vaticano II y los derechos del hombre, Madrid: Edicusa, 1968
- Iglesia, Estado y sociedad en España (1930-1982), Barcelona: Argos-Vergara, 1984
- El camino hacia la democracia. Escritos en “Cuadernos para el Diálogo” (1963-1976), Madrid: Centro de Estudios Constitucionales, 1985