Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland

Born on 22nd April 1957 in Gdańsk. Graduated from the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Gdańsk, where he read history. At University, he co-founded the Students’ Committee of Solidarity in response to the murder of Stanisław Pyjas by the Security Service. He co-operated with the Free Trade Unions of the Coastal Region by organizing self-study groups and distributing underground press and literature. He was also a co-founder of the Independent Students’ Union in Gdańsk, a head of the Solidarity movement in Wydawnictwo Morskie publishing house, and a journalist of “Samorządność” (Selfgovernance) weekly of the Solidarity. For 7 years he was a physical worker of “Świetlik” co-operative.

He was one of the founders of the Liberal and Democratic Congress ( KLD). In April 1994 he became one of the deputy chairmen of the Freedom Union (UW), created by the merger of the KLD and the Democratic Union. In 1997 he was elected to the Senate, as a representative of the UW. He became Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the 4th term. He was also Deputy Speaker of the Sejm (the lower house of the Parliament) of the 4th term in 2001-2005. He was a member of parliament in the Sejm of the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th term and since April 2003 he has held a role as Chairman of the Civic Platform (PO).