Biography:

Born in Cudillero (Asturias), he is 44 years old, married, and has a son and a daughter. He holds a degree in law from the University of Oviedo and a doctorate from the University of Valladolid, and has also done post-graduate study at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.

He has been a member of the PSOE since 1979, and has held a number of posts of responsibility in the Madrid socialist group and the Spanish Federation of Members of the Teaching Profession, a division of the General Union of Workers.

He has been an assistant lecturer at the University of Valladolid and since 1978, a lecturer in canon and ecclesiasitcal law at the 'Complutense' University of Madrid, where he has held the posts of vice-dean of the Law of Faculty and secretary general of the University.

As director general for religious affairs at the Ministry of Justice and chairman of the advosiry committee on religious freedom in 1982 and 1983, he was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Defence, where he was under-secretary for defence (1984-1990) and secretary of State for military administration (1990-93). He has also been president of the Armed Forces' Sport Council and a member of the Inter-Ministerial committee for the Barcelona '92 Olympic Games.

He is the author of several publications in his special field and on national defence and the Armed Forces.

He was appointed minister of education and science on July 14th, 1993.

He was appointed minister of defence on July 3rd., 1995.