Francisco Álvarez Cascos

Who is Francisco Álvarez Cascos?

Francisco Álvarez Cascos is a Spanish civil engineer and politician. He was President of the Principality of Asturias from 2011 to 2012.

In 1976, he joined Reforma Democrática and Alianza Popular, two right-wing parties. He was the spokesman for the Gijón Council between 1979 and 1986, county councillor and regional adviser of the Pre-Autonomous Body.

In 1982, after the merger of Alianza Popular into the center-right People's Party, he was elected senator for Asturias, a position which he combined with that of spokesman for the People's Party Parliamentary Group in the General Junta of the Principate of Asturias from 1983 onwards. In 1986 he was elected deputy for Asturias and was re-elected in 1989, 1993, 1996 and 2000.

At the 9th National Congress, he was elected Secretary-General of the People's Party and was confirmed in this office at the last three national congresses of the PP which took place in Seville and Madrid.

He was First Vice President of the Government and Minister of the Presidency for the 1996-2000 term, and Minister for Development for the 2000-2004 term.

In 2004, he resigned from Congress and left politics. In 2009, the party grassroots began to ask him to become PP's candidate for President of Asturias, organizing meetings and a campaign for his nomination all over the country, however the regional party leaders lead by Gabino de Lorenzo rejected him as a candidate and insulted him since he wanted to fire many of the people in charge in the party for decades losing election after election. The national leader Mariano Rajoy declined to support him against the attacks within his party, so he resigned membership of the party.