The Diplomat
On October 18, a tribute lunch was held in Madrid to Marcelino Oreja, the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of Adolfo Suárez’s Government, in which “his important role during the Transition and the establishment of democracy” was discussed.
The tribute, organized by the European Movement and which was supported by the European Institute of the CEU-San Pablo University and Paneuropa Spain, also highlighted Oreja’s role in “the entry of Spain into the European Union” and the “coherence in politics that has always characterized the Marquis of Oreja”, a noble title that was granted to him by King Juan Carlos I in 2010 in recognition of his career, according to the organizers.
The event was attended by a large representation of Spanish pro-European civil society, including the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas; the former parliamentarian Eugenio Nasarre (vice president of the European Movement), the former minister Iñigo Méndez de Vigo, the former minister Soledad Becerril, the former minister Jaime Mayor Oreja, the historian Alfonso Bullón de Mendoza and the secretary general of Paneuropa Spain, Carlos Uriarte. In addition, a letter of greeting from the King, who was on a state visit to Germany, was read during the tribute.
Marcelino Oreja, born in Madrid in 1935, was Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1976 and 1980. Apart from that, he was a member of the European Commission and secretary general of the Council of Europe. In March 2017 he was awarded the Charles V European Prize, which is given by the European Academy of Yuste Foundation and rewards personalities who have stood out in favor of the European Union process, such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Felipe Gonzalez, Jacques Delors, Helmut Kolh, Jorge Sampaio, Simone Veil, José Manuel Durao Barroso or Javier Solana.
