Polish state and political figure Alexander Kwasniewski: biography, activities, interesting facts

Alexander Kwasniewski is a well-known politician who for more than 10 years led Poland and became one of the initiators of the policy on the principle of "open doors" in the field of EU enlargement.

Biography: early years

Alexander Kwasniewski was born on November 15, 1954 in the town of Bialogard. His parents moved to Poland from Lithuania and were respected doctors. Alexander did not want to continue the family tradition and after school entered the lyceum with an economic bias. After graduating in 1972, the young man moved to Gdansk. There he entered the university at the Faculty of Transport Economics.

Already in his first year, Kwasniewski became a member of the Socialist Union of Polish Students. Activity and organizational skills of the young man from the outback did not go unnoticed, and two years later he was elected the head of the JCSS university committee. However, Alexander failed to combine public duties with studies, and he left the university after completing the 4th year, devoting himself to working as secretary of the Gdansk Committee of the Socialist Union of Polish Students. In addition, in 1977, A. Kwasniewski became a member of the Polish United Workers' Party (PUWP), which was the ruling political force in the Polish People's Republic from 1948 to 1990.

Further career

In 1980, Alexander Kwasniewski was invited to work in the executive committee of the Central Council of the JCSS, and in 1981 he was offered to become the editor-in-chief of the youth publication "ITD". Thanks to the efforts of an active young functionary, the magazine soon became one of the most popular in Poland.

Success in the editorial field was the reason that, after some time, Alexander Kwasniewski headed the editorial board of the "Standard of the Young" newspaper. In this position, he did not manage to prove himself sufficiently, since in 1985 he was invited to become Minister of Youth and Sports in the government of Zbigniew Messner. Kwasniewski managed to maintain his position after Mikislav Rakovsky became prime minister of the country. In addition, in 1988, the politician was headed by the Olympic Committee of Poland.

Biography after the victory of Solidarity

As a result of the coming to power of the party headed by Lech Walesa, great changes took place in Poland in all spheres, primarily in the political sphere. In particular, the PUWP was abolished. By this time Kwasniewski Alexander, along with like-minded people, had already founded the Social Democratic Party and became its leader. So, at the age of 35 he became the leader of one of the most influential political forces in Poland, and was elected a deputy of the Sejm.

First Election Company

In the 1995 elections, the favorites of the presidential race were originally Lech Walesa and politician Alexander Kwasniewski. The latter traveled almost the whole country and was able to win the sympathy of fellow citizens. He spoke exclusively respectful of his political rival, and promised a new path of European development. Poles believed in 40-year-old Kwasniewski, and he received 51.7% of the vote. After assuming office in December 1995, the politician left the ranks of his party. He motivated this step by saying that he wants to be the "president of all Poles".

Political and economic course

As president of Poland, Kwasniewski initiated many reforms. Among them, the transition to market democracy and privatization of state property. In addition, he did everything possible for his country to join the European Union and NATO.

Thus, in the years of Kwasniewski's presidency, a new constitution was approved at the referendum, thanks to which, after the Madrid and Washington summits, Poland, together with the Czech Republic and Hungary, joined NATO. Both events aroused dissatisfaction with the political opposition, but Kwasniewski remained safely in office until the end of the second presidential term.

Scandal of 2005

Almost immediately after the presidential elections, in which Lech Kaczynski became the winner , an unprecedented political scandal erupted in the country. As it was possible to find out to journalists, in the years of Kwasniewski's rule, secret CIA prisons operated on the territory of Poland. In them, in violation of all international norms, without a court decision, there were persons suspected by US special services in cooperation with Islamist movements. Moreover, they used psychological and physical torture regularly, and all the defendants in the case turned out to be representatives of the party elite of the Union of Left Democrats. Immediately there were voices suggesting to call to account the former president, but only those who were directly connected with the organization of prisons were prosecuted.

In recent years

After the completion of the second presidential term, Alexander Kwasniewski (who you already know) did not leave active public and political activities. So, in 2007 he became a member of the Yalta European strategy, and also took part in the parliamentary elections, leading the party "Left and Democrats".

In addition, for several years, Alexander Kwasniewski was a member of the international advisory body acting under the administration of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, and also was the chairman of the Jerzy Shmaydzinski Foundation.

His managerial experience was also used in other spheres. In particular, in 2014, the politician was a member of the board of directors of Burisma Holdings. And Alexander Kwasniewski teaches at the School of Diplomacy to them. Edmund Walsh Georgetown University, whose honorary doctor he became in 2006 year.

What Alexander Kwasniewski thinks about the European Union today

In early July 2016, the former president of Poland, who was always an active supporter of European integration, spoke in Warsaw at a conference organized by the Kerber Foundation.

In his speech, he noted that after Britain's withdrawal from the EU, Europe is likely to be plunged into chaos. He also noted that it is to be expected that such referendums with the same result can be held in other states, which can lead to unpredictable consequences.

Personal life

His future wife Alexander Kwasniewski met during his studies at the University of Gdańsk. Soon student friendship grew into love, and in 1979 young people married. Two years later, Alexander and Iolantha had a daughter who now works on Polish television.

Now you know who Alexander Kwasniewski is. The biography, career and political views of politics are also known to you, so you can decide whether to seriously take his forecast for the near future of the United Europe.