 | Leaders of Poland
(Republic of Poland) |
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Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB website. Visit a detailed page on Polish Governments since 1990 to know more about the ruling parties.
Late parties and coalitions:
AWS: Solidarity Electoral Action (coalition, 1996-2001)
BBWR: Non-Party Bloc for Support of the Reforms
KLD: Liberal Democratic Congress (parliamentary caucus, +1994 > KLD)
OKP: Citizens' Parliamentary Caucus
PC: Centre Agreement (1990-1999 > PPChD)
PChD: Christian Democratic Party (+1999 > PPChD)
PPChD: Polish Party of Christian Democrats (1999-2002 > SKL-RNP)
PPR: Polish Workers' Party (communist, 1943-1948 > PZPR)
PPS: Polish Socialist Party (+1948 > PZPR)
PZPR: Polish United Workers' Party (communist, 1948-1990)
RdR: Movement for the Republic (+1999 > PPChD)
RS: Social Movement (2002-2004)
RS AWS: Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action (1997-2002 > RS)
SD: Democratic Party
SdRP: Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (1990-1999 > SLD)
SKL-RNP: Conservative People's Party-Movement of a New Poland (2002-2003)
UD: Democratic Union (1991-1994 > UW)
UW: Freedom Union (1994-2005 > PD)
ZSL: United Peasants' Party (+1990 > PSL)
Current parties and coalitions:
AWSP: Solidarity Electoral Action of the Right (coalition, 2001)
LPR: League of Polish Families (2001)
PD: Democratic Party (2005)
PiS: Law and Justice (2001)
PO: Citizens' Platform (2001)
PSL: Polish Peasants' Party (1990)
ROP: Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland (1995)
Samoobrona: Self Defence of the Polish Republic (1992)
SdPl: Social Democracy of Poland (2004)
SKL: Conservative People's Party (1997-2003 > SKL-RNP, 2007)
SLD: Democratic Left Alliance (1999)
UP: Union of Labour (1992)
ZChN: Christian National Union (1989)
n/p: non-party
 Heads of State
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President of the National Homeland Council
Boleslaw Bierut 1 Jan 1944 - 4 Feb 1947 (+1956) PPR (1)
President of the Republic
Boleslaw Bierut 5 Feb 1947 - 20 Nov 1952 (+1956) PPR, PZPR
Presidents of the Council of State
Aleksander Zawadzki 20 Nov 1952 - 7 Aug 1964 (+)
Edward Ochab 7 Aug 1964 - 11 Apr 1968 (+1989) PZPR (2)
Marian Spychalski 11 Apr 1968 - 23 Dec 1970 (+1980) PZPR
Józef A. Z. Cyrankiewicz 23 Dec 1970 - 28 Mar 1972 (+1989) PZPR
Henryk Jablonski 28 Mar 1972 - 6 Nov 1985 (+2003) PZPR
Wojciech Jaruzelski 6 Nov 1985 - 19 Jul 1989 PZPR/military
Presidents of the Republic
Wojciech Jaruzelski 19 Jul 1989 - 22 Dec 1990 n/p
Lech Walesa 22 Dec 1990 - 23 Dec 1995 Solidarnosc
Aleksander Kwasniewski 23 Dec 1995 - 23 Dec 2005 SdRP/SLD
Lech Kaczynski 23 Dec 2005 - PiS
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(1) Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz served as president in exile from 1939 to his death in 1947.
(2) To 12 Aug 1964 Ochab ruled together with the other three deputy chairmen of the Council of State: Stanislaw Kulczynski, Oskar Ryszard Lange and Boleslaw Podedworny.
| Prime Ministers
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Edward Osóbka-Morawski 1 Jan 1945 - 4 Feb 1947 (+1997) PPS
Józef A. Z. Cyrankiewicz 7 Feb 1947 - 20 Nov 1952 (+1989) PPR, PZPR
Boleslaw Bierut 20 Nov 1952 - 19 Mar 1954 (+1956) PZPR
Józef A. Z. Cyrankiewicz 19 Mar 1954 - 23 Dec 1970 (+1989) PZPR
Piotr Jaroszewicz 23 Dec 1970 - 18 Feb 1980 (+1992)a PZPR
Edward Babiuch 18 Feb 1980 - 24 Aug 1980 PZPR
Józef Pinkowski 24 Aug 1980 - 9 Feb 1981 (+2000) PZPR
Wojciech Jaruzelski 9 Feb 1981 - 6 Nov 1985 PZPR/military (3)
Zbigniew Messner 6 Nov 1985 - 27 Sep 1988 PZPR
Mieczyslaw F. Rakowski 27 Sep 1988 - 2 Aug 1989 (+2008) PZPR
Czeslaw Kiszczak 2 Aug 1989 - 24 Aug 1989 PZPR
Tadeusz Mazowiecki 24 Aug 1989 - 4 Jan 1991 Solidarnosc
Jan Krzysztof Bielecki 4 Jan 1991 - 6 Dec 1991 KLD
Jan Olszewski 6 Dec 1991 - 5 Jun 1992 PC
Waldemar Pawlak 5 Jun 1992 - 8 Jul 1992 PSL
Hanna Suchocka 8 Jul 1992 - 26 Oct 1993 UD
Waldemar Pawlak 26 Oct 1993 - 6 Mar 1995 PSL
Józef Oleksy 6 Mar 1995 - 7 Feb 1996 SdRP/SLD
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz 7 Feb 1996 - 17 Oct 1997 SdRP/SLD
Marek Belka 17 Oct 1997 - 31 Oct 1997 SdRP/SLD (acting)
Jerzy Karol Buzek 31 Oct 1997 - 19 Oct 2001 RS AWS/AWS
Leszek Miller 19 Oct 2001 - 2 May 2004 SLD
Marek Belka 2 May 2004 - 31 Oct 2005 SLD, n/p
Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz 31 Oct 2005 - 14 Jul 2006 PiS
Jaroslaw Kaczynski 14 Jul 2006 - 16 Nov 2007 PiS
Donald Tusk 16 Nov 2007 - PO
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(3) A Military Council for National Salvation (WRON, military junta) chaired by Gen. Jaruzelski ruled from 12 Dec 1981 to 22 Jul 1983 while the martial law (declared 13 Dec 1981) was into force. Its members were:
Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, Maj. Gen. Józef Baryla, Col. Kazimierz Garbacik, Col. Miroslaw Hermaszewski, Maj. Gen. Tadeusz Hupalowski, Adm. Ludwik Janczyszyn, Brig. Gen. Michal Janiszewski, Brig. Gen. Jerzy Jarosz, Lieut. Gen. Czeslaw Kiszczak, Maj. Gen. Tadeusz Krepski, Col. Roman Les, Maj. Gen. Longin Lozowicki, Col. Tadeusz Makarewicz, Lieut. Gen. Eugeniusz Molczyk, Maj. Gen. Wlodzimierz Oliwa, Maj. Gen. Czeslaw Piotrowski, Maj. Gen. Henryk Rapacewicz, Maj. Gen. Florian Siwicki, Lieut. Gen. Tadeusz Tuczapski, Maj. Gen. Józef Uzycki and Lieut. Col. Jerzy Wlosinski.
First Secretaries of PPR/PZPR
Wladyslaw Gomulka Nov 1943 - 3 Sep 1948 (+1982)
Boleslaw Bierut 22 Dec 1948 - Nov 1952 (+1956)
Hilary Minc Nov 1952 - Mar 1954 (+1974) (4)
Boleslaw Bierut Mar 1954 - 12 Mar 1956 (+)
Edward Ochab 20 Mar 1956 - 21 Oct 1956 (+1989)
Wladyslaw Gomulka 21 Oct 1956 - 20 Dec 1970 (+1982)
Edward Gierek 20 Dec 1970 - 6 Sep 1980 (+2001)
Stanislaw Kania 6 Sep 1980 - 18 Oct 1981
Wojciech Jaruzelski 18 Oct 1981 - 29 Jul 1989 military
Mieczyslaw F. Rakowski 29 Jul 1989 - 30 Jan 1990 (+2008)
(4) Ochab was de facto party leader as chairman of the Central Committee from Dec 1948 to Mar 1954.
The old PPR became the PZPR on 20 Dec 1948 (1st congress, 15-22 Dec 1948) through the merger with the PPS. The PZPR ceased to exist on 30 Jan 1990 at the end of its 11th and last congress.
| Deputy Prime Ministers
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Czeslaw Kiszczak 12 Sep 1989 - 6 Jul 1990 PZPR
Czeslaw Janicki 12 Sep 1989 - 6 Jul 1990 PZPR
Leszek Balcerowicz 12 Sep 1989 - 5 Dec 1991 n/p
Jan Janowski 12 Sep 1989 - 12 Jan 1991 (+1998) SD
Henryk Goryszewski 10 Jul 1992 - 18 Oct 1993 ZChN
Pawel Laczkowski 10 Jul 1992 - 18 Oct 1993 PChD
Marek Borowski 26 Oct 1993 - 4 Feb 1995 SdRP
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz 26 Oct 1993 - 4 Mar 1995 SdRP
Aleksander Luczak 26 Oct 1993 - 4 Mar 1995 PSL
Roman Jagielinski 4 Mar 1995 - 10 Apr 1997 PSL
Miroslaw Pietrewicz 4 Mar 1995 - 17 Oct 1997 PSL
Grzegorz Kolodko 24 Apr 1995 - 4 Feb 1997 n/p
Marek Belka 4 Feb 1997 - 17 Oct 1997 SdRP/SLD
Jaroslaw Kalinowski 25 Apr 1997 - 17 Oct 1997 PSL
Janusz Tomaszewski 31 Oct 1997 - 3 Sep 1999 n/p, AWS
Leszek Balcerowicz 31 Oct 1997 - 8 Jun 2000 UW
Longin Komolowski 19 Oct 1999 - 19 Oct 2001 n/p, AWS
Janusz Steinhoff 12 Jun 2000 - 19 Oct 2001 PPChD
Marek Belka 19 Oct 2001 - 6 Jul 2002 SLD
Jaroslaw Kalinowski 19 Oct 2001 - 3 Mar 2003 PSL
Marek Pol 19 Oct 2001 - 2 May 2004 UP
Grzegorz Kolodko 6 Jul 2002 - 16 Jun 2003 n/p
Jerzy Hausner 16 Jun 2003 - 31 Mar 2005 SLD
Józef Oleksy 21 Jan 2004 - 21 Apr 2004 SLD
Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka 2 May 2004 - 31 Oct 2005 UP
Ludwik Dorn 21 Nov 2005 - 27 Apr 2007 PiS
Zyta Gilowska 7 Jan 2006 - 24 Jun 2006 n/p
Andrzej Lepper 5 May 2006 - 22 Sep 2006 Samoobrona
Roman Giertych 5 May 2006 - 13 Aug 2007 LPR
Zyta Gilowska 22 Sep 2006 - 16 Nov 2007 n/p
Andrzej Lepper 16 Oct 2006 - 9 Jul 2007 Samoobrona
Przemyslaw Gosiewski 8 May 2007 - 16 Nov 2007 PiS
Grzegorz Schetyna 16 Nov 2007 - 14 Oct 2009 PO
Waldemar Pawlak 16 Nov 2007 - PSL
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| Marshals of the Sejm
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Wladyslaw Kowalski 1947-1952 (+1958) ZSL
Jan Dembowski 1952-1956 (+1963) n/p
Czeslaw Wycech 1957-1971 (+1977) ZSL
Dyzma Galaj 1971-1972 (+2000) ZSL
Stanislaw Gucwa 1972-1985 (+1994) ZSL
Roman Malinowski 1985-1989 ZSL
Mikolaj Kozakiewicz 1989-1991 (+1998) PSL
Wieslaw Chrzanowski 1991-1993 ZChN
Józef Oleksy 1993-1995 SdRP/SLD
Józef Zych 1995-1997 PSL
Maciej Plazynski 1997-2001 AWS, PO
Marek Borowski 2001-2004 SLD, SdPl
Józef Oleksy 2004-2005 SLD
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz 2005 SLD
Marek Jurek 2005-2007 PiS
Ludwik Dorn 2007 PiS
Bronislaw Komorowski 2007- PO
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| Marshals of the Senate
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Andrzej Stelmachowski 1989-1991 OKP
August Chelkowski 1991-1993 (+1999) Solidarnosc
Adam Struzik 1993-1997 PSL
Alicja Grzeskowiak 1997-2001 AWS
Longin Hieromim Pastusiak 2001-2005 SLD
Bogdan Borusewicz 2005- n/p
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| Foreign Ministers
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Edward Osóbka-Morawski 1944-1945 (+1997) PPS
Wincenty Rzymowski 1945-1947 (+1950) SD
Zygmunt Modzelewski 1947-1951 (+1954) PPR, PZPR
Stanislaw Skrzeszewski 1951-1956 (+1978) PZPR
Adam Rapacki 1956-1968 (+1970) PZPR
Stefan Jedrychowski 1968-1971 (+1996) PZPR
Stefan Olszowski 1971-1976 PZPR
Emil Wojtaszek 1976-1980 PZPR
Józef Czyrek 1980-1982 PZPR
Stefan Olszowski 1982-1985 PZPR
Marian Orzechowski 1985-1988 PZPR
Tadeusz Olechowski 1988-1989 (+2001) PZPR
Krzysztof Skubiszewski 1989-1993 (+2010) n/p
Andrzej Olechowski 1993-1995 BBWR
Wladyslaw Bartoszewski 1995 n/p
Dariusz Kajetan Rosati 1995-1997 SdRP/SLD
Bronislaw Geremek 1997-2000 (+2008)kUW
Wladyslaw Bartoszewski 2000-2001 n/p
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz 2001-2005 SLD
Adam Daniel Rotfeld 2005 n/p
Stefan Meller 2005-2006 (+2008) n/p
Anna Fotyga 2006-2007 PiS
Radoslaw Sikorski 2007- PO
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  Chairmen of SdRP, SLD
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Aleksander Kwasniewski 1990-1995
Józef Oleksy 1996-1997
Leszek Miller 1997-2004
Krzysztof Janik 2004
Józef Oleksy 2004-2005
Wojciech Olejniczak 2005-2008
Grzegorz Napieralski 2008-
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The SdRP was born on 27 Jan 1990 from the dissolved PZPR. The SdRP became then the core of the SLD, a parliamentary coalition of about 32 political and trade union organizations launched in Jul 1991. On 27 Apr 1999 the SLD was registered as a party, in which the SdRP would be eventually merged. That happened on 16 Jun 1999 and subsequently the SdRP was disbanded. On 26 Mar 2004 SdPl was launched by splinters of SDL.
 Chairmen of AWS/AWSP, RS AWS, RS (1996-2004)
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AWS / AWSP
Marian Krzaklewski 1996-2001
Jerzy Karol Buzek 2001
RS AWS / RS
Marian Krzaklewski 1997-1999
Jerzy Karol Buzek 1999-2001
Mieczyslaw Janowski 2001-2002
Krzysztof Piesiewicz 2002-2004
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The AWS took shape from Jun to Dec 1996 as a coalition of more than 30 (number changing) center and right-oriented parties and organizations, most of them coming from the Solidarity movement. The party RS AWS was launched on 13 Nov 1997 as the official political wing of the Solidarity trade union and a new member of AWS. On 23 Dec 2000 the AWS was renewed as a federation of several parties with a core of four, RS AWS, ZChN, PPChD and SKL. In Mar 2001 the SKL left out, leaving the alliance reduced to three parties, which adopted the name of AWSP. On 28 Apr 2002 RS AWS shortened its name to simply RS. The party was disbanded in early 2004.
 Leaders of PO
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Co-leaders
Andrzej Olechowski +
Donald Tusk +
Maciej Plazynski 2001-2002
Chairmen
Maciej Plazynski 2002-2003
Donald Tusk 2003-
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PO was launched on 24 Jan 2001 as a "political initiative" and was registered as a party on 5 Mar 2002.
 Chairmen of LPR
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Marek Kotlinowski 2001-2006
Roman Giertych 2006-2007
Sylwester Chruszcz 2007-2008 (interim)
Miroslaw Orzechowski 2008-
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LPR was registered on 30 May 2001.
PiS, introduced in Apr 2001 by the wing of PC that refused to join the PPChD in 1999, held its constituent convention on 9 Jun 2001. In 2002 it merged with the Right-wing Alliance (PP), which for its part was launched in Mar 2001 by splinters of ZChN and SKL).
 Leader of Samoobrona
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Andrzej Lepper 1992-
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Samoobrona was established as a trade union in 1991 and was registered as a political party on 10 Jan 1992.
 Chairmen of PSL
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Roman Bartoszcze 1990-1991
Waldemar Pawlak 1991-1997
Jaroslaw Kalinowski 1997-2004
Janusz Wojciechowski 2004-2005
Waldemar Pawlak 2005-
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The first PSL was launched in Nov 1989 from the previous ZSL, a PZPR satellite. In May 1990 this PSL "Restoration" joined the so-called PSL "Wilanow" and some sections of the PSL-Solidarity to form the current PSL. (info submitted by Robert Golanski).
  Chairmen UD, UW, PD
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Tadeusz Mazowiecki 1991-1995
Leszek Balcerowicz 1995-2000
Bronislaw Geremek 2000-2001 (+2008)k
Wladyslaw Frasyniuk 2001-2006
Janusz Onyszkiewicz 2006-2009
Brygida Kuzniak 2009-
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UD was launched in May 1991 as the merger of several pro-Mazowiecki groups originated in the liberal wing of the Citizens' Parliamentary Party (OKP, formed by Sejm members from the ranks of the Solidarity Citizens' Committee, KOS), from which the Civic Movement Democratic Action (ROAD, founded in Jul 1990) was the biggest. On 23 Apr 1994 it merged with the KLD (chaired by Donald Tusk) to form the UW. On 7 May 2005, the PD was established on the basis of the UW, which ceased to exist.
 Chairmen of UP
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Ryszard Bugaj 1992-1997
Aleksander Malachowski 1997 (interim)
Marek Pol 1998-2004
Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka 2004-2006
Janusz Onyszkiewicz 2006-
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UP emerged in Jun 1992 from the left wing of the Solidarity movement.
 Chairman of SdPl
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Marek Borowski 2004-
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SdPl was formed on 26 Mar 2004 by splinters of SLD.
 Chairman of ROP
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Jan Olszewski 1995-
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ROP was formed on 19 Nov 1995 from the previous Movement for the Republic (RdR), which was an splinter group of PC launched in 1992.
 Chairmen of ZChN
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Wieslaw Chrzanowski 1989-1994
Ryszard Czarnecki 1994-1996 (acting to 1995)
Marian Pilka 1996-2000
Stanislaw Zajac 2002-2002
Jerzy Kropiwnicki 2002-2006
Jacek Szczot 2006-2007
Marian Papis 2009-
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The ZChN was founded in Oct 1989.
 Chairmen of SKL
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Jacek Janiszewski 1997-1998
Miroslaw Andrzej Styczen 1998-2000
Jan Maria Rokita 2000-2002
Artur Balazs 2002-2003
Artur Balazs 2007-
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The SKL was founded on 12 Jan 1997 as the merger of the Peasant Christian Party (SLCh, chaired by Artur Balazs), the Conservative Party (PK, chaired by Aleksander Hall) and splinters of UW. In Mar 2001 the party withdrew from the AWS coalition and on 13 Jan 2002 it merged with the PPChD to form the SKL-RNP. The party was dissolved in 2003 and was reactivated by Balazs in 2007.
Chairman of SKL-RNP(2002-2003)
Artur Balazs 2002-2003
The SKL-RNP was born on 13 Jan 2002 from the merger of SKL and PPChD. The party was disbanded in Dec 2003.
 Chairmen of PPChD (1999-2002)
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Antoni Tokarczuk 1999-2002
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The PPChD was founded on 26 Sep 1999 as the merger of three parties: PC (founded 12 May 1990 and chaired successively by Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Antoni Tokarczuk); PChD (chaired by Pawel Laczkowski) and RdR. On 13 Jan 2002 the PPChD merged with the SKL to form the SKL-RNP.
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Chairmen of PiS