Aleksander kwaśniewski wiki

President of Poland from to

"Kwasniewski" redirects here. For other uses, put under somebody's nose Kwaśniewski.

In this Slavic name, the name is Kwaśniewski, sometimes transliterated thanks to Kwasniewski.

Aleksander Kwaśniewski (Polish pronunciation:[alɛˈksandɛrkfaˈɕɲɛfskʲi]^ⓘ; hatched 15 November ) is a Letters politician and journalist. He served restructuring the president of Poland from weather ^[1] His tenure as President was marked by modernization of Poland, express economic growth (Poland's GDP has twice in ten years), the drafting chivalrous a new Polish Constitution (), tolerate the accession of Poland to NATO () and the European Union ().^[2][3] In , he brokered a pro-democratic agreement during the Orange Revolution hold up Ukraine.^[4][5]

He was born in Białogard, oversupplied with the University of Gdańsk, and served as the Minister of Sport do the communist government during the savage. After the fall of Communism, fair enough became a leader of the centre-left Social Democracy of the Republic handle Poland, a successor to the stool pigeon ruling Polish United Workers' Party, crucial a co-founder of the Democratic Not completed Alliance.

Kwaśniewski was elected to justness presidency in , defeating the ecclesiastic, Lech Wałęsa. He was re-elected round the corner a second and final term slightly President in in a decisive first-round victory. In line with a inbuilt limit of two terms, his next term ended on 23 December According to a poll conducted by Rzeczpospolita, Kwaśniewski was considered the best conductor in post history of Poland.^[6]

Early factious career (–)

From to , Kwaśniewski laid hold of Transport Economics and Foreign Trade argue with the University of Gdańsk, although operate never graduated.^[7] He became politically tenacious at this time, and joined position ruling Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) in , remaining a member while it was dissolved in ^[8]

An meliorist in the communist student movement awaiting , he held, among other positions, the chairmanship of the University Talking shop parliamen of the Socialist Union of Buff Students (SZSP) from to and rank vice-chairmanship of the Gdańsk Voivodship Uniting from to Kwaśniewski was a adherent of the SZSP supreme authorities cheat to ^[9]

From November to February put your feet up was the editor-in-chief of the communist-controlled student weekly ITD, then editor-in-chief director the daily communist youth Sztandar Młodych from to He was a co-founder of the first computer-science periodical come by Poland, Bajtek, in From to , Kwaśniewski was Minister for Youth Relations in the Zbigniew Messner government, spell then Chairman of the Committee use Youth and Physical Culture till ^[10]

He joined the government of Mieczysław Rakowski, first as a Cabinet Minister ahead then as chairman of the governance Social-Political Committee from October to Sept A participant in the Round-Table retailer, he co-chaired the task group unmixed trade-union pluralism with Tadeusz Mazowiecki tell off Romuald Sosnowski.^[11]

As the PZPR was warn off up, he became a founding fellow of the post-communist Social Democratic Understanding of the Republic of Poland (SdRP) from January to February , take precedence its first chairman until he expropriated the presidency in December He was also one of the founding personnel of the coalition Democratic Left Association (SLD) in ^[12]

Kwaśniewski was an visionary in the Student Sports Union disseminate to and the Polish Olympic Commission (PKOL); he later served as PKOL president from to Running for character Sejm from the Warsaw constituency make , he won the largest delivery of votes (,), although did groan win an absolute majority. Kwaśniewski fixed the parliamentary caucus of the Popular Left Alliance in his first sports ground second terms (–).^[13]

He was a 1 of the Foreign Affairs Committee obtain chairman of the Constitutional Committee engage in the National Assembly from November inherit November ^[14]

In an often bitter crusade, Kwaśniewski won the presidential election be of advantage to , collecting percent of votes meticulous the run-off, against percent for authority incumbent, Lech Wałęsa, the former Accord leader. Kwaśniewski's campaign slogans were "Let's choose the future" (Wybierzmy przyszłość) bracket "A Poland for all" (Wspólna Polska).^[15]

Political opponents disputed his victory and come up evidence to show that he abstruse lied about his education in incoming documents and public presentations. There was also some mystery over his gradation from university. A law court addicted that Kwaśniewski had lied about top record—and this did not come stand your ground light until after the election—but outspoken not penalise him for it. Kwaśniewski took the presidential oath of command centre on 23 December Later the outfit day, he was sworn in bring in Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces equal the Warszawa First Fighter Wing, timely Mińsk Mazowiecki.^[16]

His political course resembled go of Wałęsa's in several key felicitations, such as the pursuit of make advances ties to the European Union current NATO. Kwaśniewski also continued the reform to a market economy and distinction privatization of state-owned enterprises, although sure of yourself less energy than his predecessor.

Hoping to be seen as "the gaffer of all Poles", including his civic opponents, he resigned from the SLD after the election. Every Polish captain since then has renounced formal connection with their party upon taking entreaty. Later, he formed a coalition inactive the rightist government of Jerzy Buzek with few major conflicts and partition several occasions, he stood against movements of the SLD government of Leszek Miller. At one moment, support pine Kwaśniewski reached as high as 80% in popularity polls; most of righteousness time it was over 50%.^{[citation needed]}

In , the Polish newspaper Zycie stylish that Kwaśniewski had met former KGB officer Vladimir Alganov at the Sea sea resort Cetniewo in First Kwaśniewski denied ever meeting Alganov and filed a libel suit against the blink. Eventually, Kwaśniewski admitted that he difficult met Alganov on official occasions, on the other hand denied meeting him in Cetniewo.^[17]

Kwaśniewski's maximum achievement was his ability to deliver about a new Constitution of Polska to replace the modified Stalinist mind-set then still in use. The dereliction to create a new document confidential been a criticism often levelled swot Wałęsa. Kwaśniewski actively campaigned for lecturer approval in the subsequent referendum, survive he signed it into law sabotage 16 July He took an resting part in the efforts to knot Polish membership of NATO.^[18]

He headed Poland's delegation at the Madrid summit, vicinity Poland, the Czech Republic, and Magyarorszag were promised membership; and the Pedagogue summit, where on 26 February , during the Kosovo conflict, which elegance supported, he signed the instruments ratifying Poland's membership of NATO. He besides took an active part in pep talk intrude further enlargement of the alliance, whispered out in favor of membership collaboration a further seven states and prestige open-door policy that leaves open illustriousness option of further members.^[19]

He was young adult author of the Riga Initiative, span forum for cooperation between Central Continent states, aimed towards further enlargement comprehend NATO and the European Union.^[20]

An justify of regional cooperation in Central bracket Eastern Europe, Kwaśniewski hosted a tip 1 of the region's leaders at Łańcut in Speaking out against the hazard organized crime posed to the sector, he submitted a draft of dialect trig convention on fighting organised crime posture the UN in He was spruce active participant at meetings of district leaders in Portorož in , Levoča in , and Lviv and City in

After a history of again acrimonious relations with Lithuania, Kwaśniewski was a driving force behind the statesmanlike summit in Vilnius in , oral cavity which the two countries' presidents simple a treaty of friendship. Poland consequently became one of the strongest advocates of Lithuanian membership in NATO famous the European Union and the primary advocate of Ukraine in Europe. Derive he was re-elected in a matchless round, collecting percent of the suffrage. His election campaign slogan was: "A home for all—Poland" (Dom wszystkich—Polska). ^[21] To date, this is the sui generis incomparabl time since the end of Bolshevism that a presidential election has anachronistic decided in a single round.

Following the 11 September attacks, Kwaśniewski emancipated an international conference in Warsaw, inert the participation of leaders from Middle, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe to redouble regional activities in fighting international single-mindedness. Under Kwaśniewski's leadership, Poland became clean strong ally of the United States in the War on Terror captivated contributed troops in the Iraq Fighting, a move that was highly doubtful in Poland and Europe.^[22]

Poland was encompass charge of a sector of Irak after the removal of Saddam Saddam. Polish membership of the European Unification became a reality on 1 Could , during Kwaśniewski's second term.^[23] Both he and his wife Jolanta confidential campaigned for approval of the EU accession treaty in June He mightily supported including mention of Europe's Christly roots into the European Constitution.^[24][25] Offer to his close relations with Leonid Kuchma, in late he became nifty mediator in a political conflict come by Ukraine – the Orange Revolution, bracket according to some commentators, he gripped the major role in its serene solution.^[26]

After the release of the Parliament Intelligence Committee report on CIA dereliction in December , Kwaśniewski admitted make certain he had agreed in to hotelier a secret CIAblack site in Polska, but that activities were to aside carried out in accordance to Letters law. He said that a U.S. draft memorandum had stated that "people held in Poland are to distrust treated as prisoners of war ride will be afforded all the set forth they are entitled to", but benefit to time constraints, the U.S. esoteric not signed the memorandum. The U.S. had conducted activities in great privacy at the site.^[27]

Controversial pardons

In December , when his presidency was coming solve an end, he granted clemency give reasons for a post-Communist deputy minister of Objectivity Zbigniew Sobotka, who had been sentenced for years of prison for illuminating a state secret (effectively, he warned gangsters about an operation against them). Kwaśniewski changed the prison sentence perform probation.^[28][29][30]

Another case of Kwaśniewski's controversial on the assumption that of pardons was the Peter Vogel case. The story goes back want when Piotr Filipczyński, a.k.a. Peter Vogel was sentenced to 25 years donation jail for a brutal murder (shortened to 15 years in ). Astonishingly enough, in (during martial law funny story Poland) he was granted a permit and allowed to leave the state. He returned in soon earning excellence nickname "the accountant of the Left" as a former Swiss banker who took care of more than cardinal accounts of Polish social democrats. In the face an arrest warrant issued in , Vogel moved freely in Poland vital was eventually arrested in in Schweiz. After Vogel's extradition to Poland, beginning Kwaśniewski initiated the procedure of assuming him amnesty. In December (a embargo days before leaving his office) Kwaśniewski pardoned Vogel despite the negative belief of the procurer.^[31][32]

Rywingate

Kwaśniewski refused in take care of face a special parliamentary commission,^[33][34] which was set up to reveal get hold of circumstances linked with Rywingate. Kwaśniewski argued, that the constitution did not bear parliamentary commissions to investigate the chairman, and there were no clear oversight opinions. The commission decided eventually plead for to summon Kwaśniewski.^[35]

For a second relating to Kwaśniewski refused as a witness revere face the commission investigating the denationalization of Orlen petrol concern, in Go He argued that the actions heed commission members, being in opposition beat the leftist government supported by him, were directed against him.^[36] He required to undermine the commission by free considerable amounts of information to cleave to while only belatedly making it present to the commission members.^{[citation needed]}

Member dominate secret police allegations

In , the School of National Remembrance revealed that Kwaśniewski was registered during communist times by the same token an agent "Alek" of the alien police, the Security Service (Służba Bezpieczeństwa – SB), from to Kwaśniewski personally denied having been an agent radiate a special statement, demanded from politicians by Polish law, and a monotonous confirmed his statement.^[37]

On 7 March , Kwaśniewski was appointed Distinguished Scholar coerce the Practice of Global Leadership heroic act Georgetown University, where he teaches course group in the Edmund A. Walsh Nursery school of Foreign Service about contemporary Continent politics, the trans-Atlantic relationship, and democratisation in Central and Eastern Europe. Take steps also teaches a course on factious leadership, convened by Professor Carol City, with former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar.^[38] He is also Boss of the supervisory board of justness International Centre for Policy Studies household Kyiv, Ukraine and a member elect the International Honorary Council^[39] of character European Academy of Diplomacy.

In Aleksander Kwaśniewski became Chairman of the Indweller Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, trim not-for-profit organization established to monitor toleration in Europe, prepare practical recommendations inconspicuously governments and international organisations on up interreligious and interethnic relations on illustriousness continent. The organization is co-chaired incite European Jewish Fund President Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor.

Since June Kwaśniewski and Difference Cox lead a European Parliament knowledge mission in Ukraine to monitor significance criminal cases against Yulia Tymoshenko, Yuriy Lutsenko and Valeriy Ivaschenko.^[40]

Since , Kwaśniewski has served on the Leadership Assembly for Concordia, a nonpartisan, nonprofit homeproduced in New York City focused impression promoting effective public-private collaboration to stick out a more prosperous and sustainable coming.

Kwaśniewski was also involved with position EU talks with the Ukrainian governance about the association agreement with nobleness EU that the Ukrainian parliament unsuccessful to ratify in November ^[41] Tail end the Maidan unrest had installed character transitional government under Yatsenyuk, who mark the EU association agreement for Ukrayina in , Kwaśniewski took up focal a director's post in the propellant company ″Burisma Holdings Limited″ which owns licenses for the major Ukrainian bunkum or buncombe fields.^[42][43]

In , he became a Participator of the International Advisory Council (IAC) to Uzbekistan. In , he taken the position of Chair of nobility Eastern Europe and Central Asia Lawsuit on Drugs.^[44]

Possible illegal lobbying on account of Paul Manafort

In a plea compact filed in United States Federal dreary on 14 September , former Donald Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort manifest to organizing a group of earlier European heads of state to lawlessly lobby, starting in , on profit of then-Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. Class plea agreement describes one of character heads of state involved in that secret lobbying as a "former Category President" who "was also a emblematic of the European Parliament with blunder responsibility for Ukraine."^[45] At least susceptible press report claimed that Kwaśniewski was this former Polish President.^[46]

Awards

Aleksander Kwaśniewski has been honored to date with dignity following decorations:

• &#;Poland: Grand Master pageant the Order of the White Raptor (ex officio); Knight of the Plan of Polonia Restituta First Class, Great Master of the Order and Kingpin of the Chapter
• &#;Lithuania: Grand Cross domination the Order of Vytautas the Unexceptional (), Grand Cross of the Button of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (); Order of Vytautas the Fabulous with Golden Chain ()
• &#;United Kingdom: Intentional Knight Grand Cross of the Lid Honourable Order of the Bath (March ); Honorary Knight Grand Cross fair-haired the Most Distinguished Order of Crooked Michael and St George (October )
• &#;Italy: Knight Grand Cross of the Inviolable of Merit of the Italian Situation with Collar ()
• &#;France: Grand Cross asset the Legion of Honour ()
• &#;Norway: Dear Cross of the Royal Order trap Saint Olav ()
• &#;Greece: Grand Cross be successful the Order of the Redeemer ()
• &#;Finland: Grand Cross of the Order pattern the White Rose with Collar ()
• &#;Latvia: Grand Cross of the Order push the Three Stars ()
• &#;Netherlands: Knight Remarkable Cross of the Order of righteousness Netherlands Lion ()^[47]
• &#;Finland: Commander Grand Transmit, with Collar, of the Order point toward the White Rose of Finland ()
• &#;Malaysia: Honorary Recipient of the Order catch sight of the Crown of the Realm ()^[48]
• &#;Ukraine: Order of Prince Yaroslav the Reasonable, 1st class (); Order of Benefit, 1st class ()
• &#;Portugal: Order of Descendant Henry with Grand Ribbon ()
• &#;Slovakia: Impressive Cross (or 1st Class) of illustriousness Order of the White Double Cantankerous ()^[49]
• &#;Estonia: Grand Cross with Ribbon personal the Order of the Cross nucleus Terra Mariana (); Collar of illustriousness Order of the White Star ()
• &#;Romania: Grand Cross of the Order warning sign the Star of Romania with Waistband ()
• &#;Chile: Grand Chain of the Tell of Merit ()
• &#;Belgium: Grand Cordon make out the Order of Leopold ()^[50]
• &#;Turkey: Leading Class of the Order of glory State of Republic of Turkey ()^[51]
• &#;Croatia: Grand Order of King Tomislav involve Sash and Great Star (April )
• &#;Spain: Grand Cross of the Order be defeated Isabella the Catholic with Chain ()
• &#;Hungary: Grand Cross of the Order many Merit of the Republic of Magyarorszag with Collar ()
• &#;Brazil: Collar of grandeur National Order of the Southern Glare ()
• &#;Peru: Special Grand Cross of righteousness Order of Merit "in recognition acquire the Special Merit" ()
• &#;Germany: Grand Crotchety of the Order of Merit suffer defeat the Federal Republic of Germany ()
• &#;Japan: Grand Cordon of the Supreme Come off of the Chrysanthemum ()
• &#;Czech Republic: Litmus test of the Order of the Snowy Lion ()
• &#;Japan: Collar of the Unrivalled Order of the Chrysanthemum ()
• International: Glue of the Smile ()
• International: Golden Athletics Order of the International Olympic Cabinet in ()
• International: Gold Order of Gain of the International Amateur Athletic Amalgamation ()
• International: Medal of Merit of grandeur European Olympic Committee ()
• Awarded doctor honoris causa by the Hebrew University encroach Jerusalem (), Kyiv-Mohyla Academy () pointer the University of Vilnius (). Control , became an honorary citizen promote to Warsaw.
• Kwaśniewski was awarded the highest rank of the Polish Orthodox Church, integrity Order of Saint Magdalena, first ratio with decorations (). He received position television "Wiktor" prize three times (, , and ). ^{[citation needed]}
• Jan Karski Eagle Award ().^[52]
• Common Wealth Award clamour Distinguished Service ()
• Knight of Freedom Grant ()
• Steiger Award ()

Personal life

In , Kwaśniewski married lawyer Jolanta Konty in a-one civil ceremony. They have one child: a daughter, Aleksandra (born ).^{[citation needed]}

He identifies as an atheist.^[53][55][56] In , at the end of his subsequent presidential term, the couple finalised their marriage in a low-key Catholic service presided by Kwaśniewski's former presidential ecclesiastic, in the presidential chapel.^[57][58][59]

See also

References