Margaret Hilda Thatcher

Japanese: サッチャー - さっちゃー（英語表記）Margaret Hilda Thatcher

British politician. She was the first female leader of the Conservative Party and served as Prime Minister for three terms from 1979 to 1990. She was also the first woman to become Prime Minister in Europe. She revived the British economy, which had been in a slump for a long time, by introducing market principles, and transitioned it from a "welfare state" to an "independent state." She was called the "Iron Lady" for her strong arm and uncompromising diplomatic stance.
Her maiden name was Margaret Hilda Roberts. She was born in 1925 in Grantham, Lincolnshire, as the second daughter of a grocer. After graduating from Oxford University, she worked as a chemical researcher while qualifying as a lawyer. During this time, she married businessman Denis Thatcher and had three children. In 1959, she was first elected to the House of Commons at the age of 34, the youngest woman to do so, and in 1970 she became Secretary of State for Education and Science under the Heath administration (until 1974). At the time, she said, "I can't imagine that we'll see a female prime minister in my lifetime," but in 1975 she became leader of the Conservative Party, and four years later she became prime minister.
During his time as Prime Minister, he introduced neoliberal economic policies (Thatcherism) that aimed for a "small government," privatizing state-run enterprises and bold deregulation to revitalize the domestic economy. At the same time, he closed unprofitable coal mines and steel plants, and took a drastic measure against rebellious labor unions. These radical reforms were successful in overcoming the "British disease," but they also left a negative legacy. It is said that his policies, which were based on self-help efforts, abandoned the weak and widened the gap between rich and poor.
He also refused to compromise on security, and in 1982, when Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, which he effectively controlled, he immediately dispatched a fleet to repel them. In the West, he distanced himself from the European Union (EU), which was aiming for economic integration, and placed importance on relations with the United States. He built a friendly relationship with U.S. President Reagan, and supported Soviet Secretary General Gorbachev, who was promoting perestroika, and played a major role in ending the Cold War.
In 1990, he resigned after the introduction of the community charge (poll tax) drew criticism from both inside and outside the party. Two years later, he announced his retirement from politics. In 2008, his family announced that he had advanced dementia. He died of a stroke on April 8, 2013. Even after his death, his reputation in the UK is sharply divided, with some calling him a "savior or a destroyer" (The Guardian).

(Hideki Osako, Freelance Editor / 2013)

Source : "Chiezo" published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Co., Ltd. About Chiezo

Japanese:

英国の政治家。保守党初の女性党首で、1979年から90年まで3期にわたり首相を務めた。女性の首相就任は欧州全体でも初。長らく低迷していた英国経済を、市場原理の導入で回復させ、「福祉国家」から「自立国家」へと移行させた。その豪腕や妥協を許さない外交姿勢から「鉄の女」と呼ばれる。
旧姓はマーガレット・ヒルダ・ロバーツ。25年、東部リンカンシャー州グランサムで雑貨店の次女として生まれた。オックスフォード大学卒業後、化学研究員として働きながら、弁護士資格を取得。その間、実業家のデニス・サッチャーと結婚し、3人の子をもうけている。59年、女性としては最年少の34歳で下院議員に初当選し、70年にはヒース政権下(～74年)で教育科学大臣となった。当時、「私が生きている間に女性の首相が誕生するとは思えない」と語ったが、75年保守党の党首になり、その4年後に首相となった。
首相在任中は、「小さな政府」を志向する新自由主義経済政策(サッチャリズム)を打ち出し、国営企業の民営化や大胆な規制緩和で、国内経済を活性化させた。一方、収益の上がらない炭鉱や鉄鋼工場を閉鎖し、反発する労働組合には大なたを振るった。こうした急進的な改革は「英国病」の克服に成果を挙げたが、負の遺産も残すこととなった。自助努力を前提にした諸政策は弱者を切り捨て、貧富の差を拡大させたといわれる。
安全保障でも譲歩せず、82年、実効支配していた南大西洋フォークランド諸島にアルゼンチン軍が侵攻すると、即座に艦隊を派遣して撃退した。西側では、経済統合を目指す欧州連合(EU)とは距離を置き、対米関係を重視。米レーガン大統領と盟友関係を築くとともに、ペレストロイカを進めるソ連ゴルバチョフ書記長を支援し、冷戦終結にも大きな役割を果たした。
90年、コミュニティ・チャージ(人頭税)の導入が党内外から反発を受け、退陣。2年後、政界からの引退を表明した。2008年には、認知症が進んでいることを家族が公表。13年4月8日脳卒中で死去した。英国での評価は、死後も「救世主か、破壊者か」(ガーディアン紙)と大きく二分される。

(大迫秀樹　フリー編集者／ 2013年)

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