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Eduardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle | |
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![]() Frei in 1999. | |
31st President of Chile | |
In office 11 March 1994 – 11 March 2000 | |
Preceded by | Patricio Aylwin |
Succeeded by | Ricardo Lagos |
Member of the Senate of Chile | |
In office 11 March 2006 – 11 March 2014 | |
Preceded by | Gabriel Valdés Subercaseaux |
Succeeded by | Alfonso de Urresti |
Constituency | North Los Lagos Region |
In office 11 March 1990 – 11 March 1994 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | María Elena Carrera |
Constituency | East Santiago |
President of the Senate of Chile | |
In office 11 March 2006 – 11 March 2008 | |
Preceded by | Sergio Romero Pizarro |
Succeeded by | Adolfo Zaldívar |
Senator for life | |
In office 11 March 2000 – 11 March 2006 | |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle 24 June 1942 Santiago, Chile |
Nationality | Chilean, Swiss |
Political party | Christian Democratic |
Spouse | |
Children | Verónica Cecilia Magdalena Catalina |
Relatives | Carmen Frei (Sister) |
Alma mater | University of Chile |
Occupation | Civil engineer |
Signature | ![]() |
Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle (Spanish pronunciation: [eˈðwaɾðo alˈfɾeðo ˈxwam beɾˈnaɾðo ˈfɾej rwis ˈtaɣle]; born 24 June 1942) is a Chilean politician and civil engineer who served as president of Chile from 1994 to 2000. He was also a Senator, fulfilling the role of President of the Senate from 2006 to 2008. He attempted a comeback as the candidate of the ruling Concertación coalition for the 2009 presidential election, but was narrowly defeated. His father was Eduardo Frei Montalva, president of Chile from 1964 to 1970.
His presidency was marked by a consolidation of Chile's transition to democracy albeit the indictment and arrest of Augusto Pinochet in his last year of government heated up national politics. Economically, he oversaw a period of rapid economic growth that was only temporarily stunted by the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
In the 2020s he has taken political positions different from those of the Christian Democratic Party aligning more with the views of centrist and right-wing parties in the constitutional referendums of 2022 and 2023.[1]