Alberto Oliart

Alberto Carlos Oliart Saussol (born 1928) is a Spanish politician and executive.

Alberto Oliart
Oliart in 1982
Personal details
Born	29 July 1928 Mérida, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Political party	UCD (1978–1980s)
Alma mater	University of Barcelona
Occupation	Politician, state lawyer, business executive, stockbreeder, writer

Biography

Born on 29 July 1928 in Mérida, he earned a Licentiate degree in Law at the University of Barcelona in 1950 and, 3 years later, in 1953, he joined the State Lawyers Corps, serving as such until 1965, when he was appointed as Chief Administrative and Finance Officer of Renfe.[1][2] He rejoined the State Lawyers Corps in 1964.

He was also member of the board of directors of the Banco Urquijo, Explosivos Río Tinto, Río Tinto Minera and Barral Editores.[2]

Appointed as Minister of Industry and Energy by Adolfo Suárez, Oliart was sworn in on 4 July 1977,[3] leaving the post in February 1978. Later in the year, Oliart joined the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) in December 1978[4] and ran as candidate to the Congress of Deputies, 2nd in the UCD list for the 1979 general election in the constituency of Badajoz.[5] Elected member of the 1st Congress of Deputies, he chaired the Committee on Defense of the Lower House from May 1979 to September 1980,[6] when he was appointed Minister of Health and Social Security.[7]

Oliart (left) next to the rector of the UNED in 2010.

Some days after the 23-F, on 26 February 1981, he was appointed as Minister of Defence in the new cabinet presided by Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, serving in such capacity until 1982. After leaving politics he returned to lawmaking, activity he combined with stockbreeding in his native Extremadura.[8]

He was appointed as President of RTVE in 2009. Proposed as consensus candidate between the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and the People's Party as he had to be ratified by a 2/3 qualified majority in the Congress of Deputies,[9] the appointment was questioned on the basis of the age of the octogenarian candidate and his lack of media training.[10] He resigned in July 2011, and, given the upcoming general election for December 2011, the post was temporarily left vacant for a time.[10]

Decorations

• Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (1978)[11]
• Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (1982)[12]
• Grand Cross of the Order of Military Merit, with White Decoration (1985)[13]
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Agricultural, Fishing and Food Merit (1994)[14]
• Medal of Extremadura (1998)[8]
• Grand Cross of the Order of Naval Merit (1999)[15]

References

1. "Alberto Oliart, el ex ministro y "hombre de consenso"". Público. 11 November 2009.
2. "I Legislatura (1979–1982) Oliart Saussol, Alberto Carlos". Congress of Deputies.
3. Juan Domingo Fdez. (12 November 2009). "Un extremeño ilustrado". Hoy.
4. Laserna, Marta (22 November 2009). "Alberto Oliart sustituye, a sus 81 años, a Luis Fernández como timonel de RTVE". El Correo.
5. Juntas Electorales Provinciales: "Candidaturas definitivamente adminitadas para las elecciones al Congreso de los Diputados y al Senado, convocadas por Real Decreto 3073/1978, de 29 de diciembre" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (30): 2871. 3 February 1979. ISSN 0212-033X.
6. "I Legislatura (1979–1982). Composición de la Comisión de Defensa (10/05/1979-03/03/1982)". Congress of Deputies.
7. "El ex ministro de UCD Alberto Oliart, de 81 años, nuevo presidente de RTVE". Mediaset. 11 November 2009.
8. "Decreto 101/1998, de 28 de julio, de concesión de la Medalla de Extremadura al Excmo. señor don Alberto Oliart Saussol" (PDF). Diario de Extremadura (89): 6119. 4 August 1998.
9. Yanel, Agustín; Piña, Raúl (12 November 2009). "El ex ministro octogenario Alberto Oliart será el nuevo presidente de RTVE". El Mundo.
10. Ojer, Teresa; Bonaut, Joseba (2012). "RTVE's Corporate Governance (2004–2011): Independence and Regeneration?". Journal of Spanish Language Media (5): 113, 122.
11. Jefatura del Estado: "Real Decreto 236/1978, de 24 de febrero, por el que se concede la Gran Cruz de la Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III a don Alberto Oliart Saussol" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (48): 4632. 25 February 1978. ISSN 0212-033X.
12. Presidencia del Gobierno: "Real Decreto 3301/1982, de 2 de diciembre, por el que se concede la Gran Cruz de la Orden de Isabel la Católica a don Alberto Oliart Saussol" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (290): 33383. 3 December 1982. ISSN 0212-033X.
13. Ministerio de Defensa: "Real Decreto 2502/1985, de 23 de diciembre, por el que se concede la Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Militar con distintivo blanco, al excelentísimo señor ex Ministro de Defensa don Alberto Oliart Saussol" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (2): 757. 2 January 1986. ISSN 0212-033X.
14. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación: "Real Decreto 590/1994, de 25 de marzo, por el que se concede la Gran Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Agrario, Pesquero y Alimentario, Sección Mérito Alimentario, a don Alberto Oliart Saussol" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (93): 12054. 19 April 1994. ISSN 0212-033X.
15. Ministerio de Defensa: "Real Decreto 2037/1999, de 23 de diciembre, por el que se concede la Gran Cruz del Mérito Naval, con distintivo blanco a don Alberto Oliart Saussol" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (312): 46385. 30 December 1999. ISSN 0212-033X.