Manuel Fraga began his political career during General Franco's fascist dictatorship in Spain, being minister and ambassador in London.
After Franco's death, democracy returned to Spain. Fraga the formed a right wing party called Alianza Popular (AP - Popular Alliance), wich later changed its name to Partido Popular (PP - Popular Party). The party was ignored in its first years, but gained popularity when UCD (Unión de Centro Democrático, a moderate right wing party which won the first two elections after Franco's death) disbanded and most of its members joined AP.
In the late eighties, Fraga left presidency of PP and returned to his homeland, Galicia. He won the elections and became president of Galicia, and it has remained in charge until the present.
In late 2002, when an oil tanker ship called Prestige sank near Galician coast, Fraga saw his credibility really damaged.