Enrique Fuentes Quintana

Enrique Fuentes Quintana (13 December 1924 – 7 June 2007) was a significant Spanish economist, academic and politician, who served as deputy prime minister of Spain between 1977 and 1979 in the first cabinet after the Franco regime.

Quintana was born in Carrion de los Condes, Palencia province, on 13 December 1924. His family were mostly jurists and farmers. He held a bachelor's degree in law (1948) and a PhD in political science and economics (1956), both of which he received from the University of Complutense in Madrid.

Quintana taught economics at different universities, namely the University of Valladolid (1956 – 1958), the University of Complutense in Madrid (1958 – 1978) and at the National University of Distance Education (UNED) (1978 – 1990). He was one of the economists credited with the success of Spanish economy in the 1960s. He served as the head of the research department at the ministry of finance. He was also the editor of the reformist monthly Información Comercial Española. In 1969, he became the director of the institute for fiscal studies. He served as the president of the Bank of Spain.

He was appointed deputy prime minister for economy to the cabinet led by prime minister Adolfo Suárez in 1977. Quintana developed a rationalization programme in 1977 which constituted the basis for Spain to have an opportunity to be granted EEC membership. He was in office until 22 February 1979 when he resigned from office due to his marginalization in the cabinet. Quintana tried to follow the promises of the structural reforms in economy which were included in the Moncloa Pacts. These reforms required to reduce the production of steel and to nationalize the production of electricity among the others. However, Quintana's initiatives were not backed by conservatives supporting the cabinet, leading to his resignation. Fernando Abril Martorell succeeded him as deputy prime minister. Quintana's resignation was one of the reasons for the cabinet to adopt much more right-wing policies. After leaving office Quintana returned to teaching post and became emeritus professor at UNED.

Quintana died of alzheimer disease at the age of 82 in Madrid on 6 June 2007.