Felipe González Márquez: 1942—: Spanish Prime Minister - Continued To Promote Spain After Term

A number of party scandals during the early 1990s weakened the González government, but his party won a narrow victory in the 1993 elections. By 1996 enough of his traditional base had eroded, and in the elections that year the conservative Popular Party took charge, with José Maria Aznar the new prime minister. González remained socialist party leader but stepped down in 1997. That year, charges were filed against several members of his government for waging what was termed a "dirty war" against Basque separatists. The Basques, who live primarily in northern Spain, had frequently made demands for more autonomy from Spain, and at times these demands were backed by violence from the most militant factions. In the 1980s and 1990s, the government used questionable tactics in trying to crush the Basques. A dozen officials from González's government received jail sentences for their role in the dirty war, but González was not charged with any wrongdoing. His interest in Spain and its role in Europe and the world remained his chief concern after his term of office expired, and into the 21st century he was traveling and lecturing frequently about international affairs.

González married Maria Carmen Romero, a school-teacher he met while involved in Socialist Youth, in 1969. She later served in the Spanish parliament as a member of the PSOE party. The couple had two sons and a daughter. González received the Charlemagne Prize in 1993 and the Great Golden Cross for Merit of the Republic of Austria in 1997.