12 Facts About Segismundo Moret

Segismundo Moret y Prendergast was a Spanish politician and writer.

Segismundo Moret was the prime minister of Spain on three occasions and the president of the Congress of Deputies on two occasions.

Segismundo Moret studied at the Universidad Central in Madrid, where, in 1858, he became professor of political economy while he continued his studies in jurisprudence.

In 1863, Moret was elected representative to parliament as an independent representing the town of Almaden in the province of Ciudad Real.

Segismundo Moret was re-elected in 1868 after the Revolution of 1868 and took part in the writing of the new Spanish Constitution of 1869.

Segismundo Moret was again elected deputy for Ciudad Real in 1879 and rallied to the monarchy in 1882.

In 1897, as Minister for Overseas Colonies, Segismundo Moret decreed the autonomy for Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Segismundo Moret opposed the war against the United States in 1898.

In 1905, after the resignation of Montero Rios, Segismundo Moret became prime minister but was forced to resign in July 1906 after he had lost his majority in the parliament although he became again prime minister briefly the same year.

Segismundo Moret was forced to resign in February 1910 when he was replaced by Jose Canalejas.

Segismundo Moret denounced the Canalejas Ministry as "a democratic flag being used to cover reactionary merchandise".

In 1912, after the assassination of Prime Minister Canalejas and the appointment of a new prime minister, Alvaro Figueroa Torres, Count of Romanones, Segismundo Moret was elected as the 155th president of the Congress of Deputies, which he was until his death, on 28 January 1913.