Janusz Onyszkiewicz
Encyclopedia
Janusz Adam Onyszkiewicz (ˈjanuʂ ɔnɨʂˈkʲɛvʲitʂ, born 1937) is a Polish
mathematician, alpinist, politician and was a vice-president of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee from January 2007 until mid-2009.
). He graduated in mathematics
from Warsaw University. He became a famous mathematician
and a alpinist
in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he became the spokesman for the anti-communist Solidarity movement. He became popular among foreign journalists because of his fluent English. After the introduction of martial law in Poland
on 13 December 1981, he was arrested and interned.
After the fall of communism in 1989, Onyszkiewicz became a member of the Polish Sejm
. He served all subsequent terms from May 1989 until 2001. In the spring of 1990, Onyszkiewicz and Bronisław Komorowski
became the first civilian vice-ministers of defence in the communist-dominated Ministry of Defence. Later, Onyszkiewicz was Minister of Defence twice, in the cabinets of Hanna Suchocka
(1992–1993) and Jerzy Buzek
(1997–2000).
Initially, he was a member of the Obywatelski Klub Parlamentarny, then the Democratic Union
and the Freedom Union
. Today, he is a member of the Democratic Party, the continuation of Democratic Union.
In 1999, Onyszkiewicz was awarded the Manfred Wörner Medall by the German Minister of Defence.
On 13 June 2004, Onyszkiewicz was elected to the European Parliament
as a candidate of Democratic Union in the 10th constituency (Lesser Poland
+Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship
s) receiving 50 155 votes (6,37%). On 20 July 2004 he was elected a Vice-President of the European Parliament.
Onyszkiewicz is Chairman of the ICDT
's International Board of Directors.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
mathematician, alpinist, politician and was a vice-president of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee from January 2007 until mid-2009.
Biographical note
Janusz Onyszkiewicz was born on 18 December 1937 in Lwów (then Poland, now Lviv, UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). He graduated in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from Warsaw University. He became a famous mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and a alpinist
Alpinist
Alpinist is a quarterly American magazine focused on mountaineering ascents worldwide. It was originally published out of Jackson, Wyoming and was founded in 2002...
in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he became the spokesman for the anti-communist Solidarity movement. He became popular among foreign journalists because of his fluent English. After the introduction of martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
on 13 December 1981, he was arrested and interned.
After the fall of communism in 1989, Onyszkiewicz became a member of the Polish Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
. He served all subsequent terms from May 1989 until 2001. In the spring of 1990, Onyszkiewicz and Bronisław Komorowski
Bronislaw Komorowski
Bronisław Maria Komorowski is the President of Poland. As Marshal of the Sejm , Komorowski exercised powers and duties of head of state following the death of President Lech Kaczyński in a plane crash on 10 April 2010...
became the first civilian vice-ministers of defence in the communist-dominated Ministry of Defence. Later, Onyszkiewicz was Minister of Defence twice, in the cabinets of Hanna Suchocka
Hanna Suchocka
Hanna Suchocka is a Polish political figure. She served as the prime minister of Poland between 11 July 1992 and 26 October 1993 under the presidency of Lech Wałęsa. She is the first woman to hold this post in Poland and 19th in the world.Suchocka is a specialist in Constitutional Law...
(1992–1993) and Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, academic lecturer and politician who was the ninth post-Cold War Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001...
(1997–2000).
Initially, he was a member of the Obywatelski Klub Parlamentarny, then the Democratic Union
Democratic Union (Poland)
The Democratic Union was a Liberal Christian-democratic party in Poland. The party was founded in 1990 by Prime Minister, Christian democrat Tadeusz Mazowiecki as a merger of the Citizens' Movement for Democratic Action and the Forum of Right Democrats .The party had a market-socialist...
and the Freedom Union
Freedom Union (Poland)
The Freedom Union was a liberal democratic party in Poland. It was founded on March 20, 1994 out of the merger of the Democratic Union and the Liberal Democratic Congress . Both of these parties had roots in the Solidarity trade union movement. It represented European democratic and liberal...
. Today, he is a member of the Democratic Party, the continuation of Democratic Union.
In 1999, Onyszkiewicz was awarded the Manfred Wörner Medall by the German Minister of Defence.
On 13 June 2004, Onyszkiewicz was elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
as a candidate of Democratic Union in the 10th constituency (Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Małopolska Voivodeship , or Lesser Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, in southern Poland...
+Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship
Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship
Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, or Świętokrzyskie Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is presently divided. It is situated in central Poland, in the historical province of Lesser Poland, and takes its name from the Świętokrzyskie mountain range...
s) receiving 50 155 votes (6,37%). On 20 July 2004 he was elected a Vice-President of the European Parliament.
Onyszkiewicz is Chairman of the ICDT
ICDT
International Centre for Democratic Transition -About the ICDT:The ICDT is a non-profit organization based in Budapest, Hungary which collects the experiences of recent democratic transitions and shares them with those who are determined to follow that same path. Instead of promoting democracy in...
's International Board of Directors.
See also
- European Parliament Election, 2004 (Poland)European Parliament election, 2004 (Poland)Elections to the European Parliament were held in Poland on 13 June 2004. 20.87% of eligible citizens voted; of these, 97.33% of the votes cast were valid. The elections resulted in a heavy defeat for the governing Alliance of the Democratic Left and Labor Union parties, although the very low...