Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland
Encyclopedia
The Prime Minister of Poland (Polish: Premier Polski) heads the Polish Council of Ministers
(the Cabinet) and directs their work, supervises territorial self-government within the guidelines and in ways described in the Constitution
and other legislation, and acts as the superior for all government administration workers (heading the public service corps).
the office is usually called Premier
. Until 1922, the Prime Minister
was called "President of the Ministers" (Prezydent Ministrów).
At the same time, the Prime Minister may fulfil the duties of a department head or a committee chairman. The Prime Minister may also be a Representative at the Sejm
of the Republic of Poland. He cannot, however, hold the post of the President of the RP
or any other high state office such as the Chairman of the NIK
(Supreme Chamber of Control), Chairman of the NBP (National Bank of Poland) or a Civil Rights Spokesman (Ombudsman).
Designated Prime Minister is free to select his co-workers - members of the Council of Ministers. The cabinet he selects must be approved by the Sejm
by granting him the vote of confidence. Ministerial nominations are signed and handed out by the President of Poland.
The Prime Minister and his ministers take the following pledge before the President of the RP: "Accepting the post of the Prime Minister I solemnly swear that I will faithfully follow the articles of the Constitution and other laws of the Republic of Poland, as well as the good of the Fatherland, and for me the well-being of its citizens will always be the supreme directive." The pledge may be finished with the words "So help me God."
Because of Poland's proportional representation
system, Prime Ministers often rule with the support of a coalition of parties
. These coalitions can collapse over political disagreements, causing the average term in office of a Polish Prime Minister to be rather short (typically around 18 months). Since the full restoration of democracy in 1991, only one man, Jerzy Buzek
, has served a full four-year term as Prime Minister. The incumbent Donald Tusk
is completing his first term and is the first Prime Minister to be re-elected since the fall of the People's Republic of Poland in 1989. Other Prime Ministers have been forced to early resignation, as a result of a loss of confidence, political scandals or defeats at early elections.
The Sejm grants the Council of Ministers vote of no confidence by a majority vote of the statutory number of Representatives at the motion put forward by at least 46 Representatives and naming a new candidate to the post of the Prime Minister (so called constructive vote of no confidence). Such motion can be put to vote not earlier than 7 days after it has been proposed. Second motion can be presented not earlier than three months from the date of submission of the prior motion. Second motion can be submitted before the period of three months expires if it is presented by at least 115 Representatives.
The Prime Minister dissolves the Council of Ministers at the first session of the newly elected Sejm, as well as in the case of: failure to pass by the Sejm of the vote of confidence for the Council of Ministers, passing of the vote of no confidence, or resignation for any other reasons.
Accepting the resignation of the Council of Ministers, the President of the Republic asks them to continue to perform their duties until the new Council of Ministers has been selected, thus preserving the continuity of government and control over the actions of the government administration.
protection for a period of six months after leaving office.
List of former living Prime Ministers as of 2011:
3rd Republic:
Council of Ministers of Poland
The Cabinet of Poland consists of the Prime Minister and ministers. Deputy Prime Ministers and presidents of committees specified in statutes may also be appointed to the Cabinet...
(the Cabinet) and directs their work, supervises territorial self-government within the guidelines and in ways described in the Constitution
Constitution of Poland
The current Constitution of Poland was adopted on 2 April 1997. Formally known as the Constitution of the Republic of Poland , it replaced the temporary amendments put into place in 1992 designed to reverse the effects of Communism, establishing the nation as "a democratic state ruled by law and...
and other legislation, and acts as the superior for all government administration workers (heading the public service corps).
Overview
The full name of the office is the "Chairman of the Council of Ministers" (in Polish Prezes Rady Ministrów), but this version is very rarely used in English. In PolishPolish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
the office is usually called Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
. Until 1922, the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
was called "President of the Ministers" (Prezydent Ministrów).
At the same time, the Prime Minister may fulfil the duties of a department head or a committee chairman. The Prime Minister may also be a Representative at the 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 ....
of the Republic of Poland. He cannot, however, hold the post of the President of the RP
President of the Republic of Poland
The President of the Republic of Poland is the Polish head of state. His or her rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Poland....
or any other high state office such as the Chairman of the NIK
The Supreme Chamber of Control of Poland
The Supreme Chamber of Control is the supreme audit institution and also one of the oldest state institutions in Poland, created under the Second Republic on February 7, 1919, barely 3 months after the restoration of Poland's independence. It was created on the initiative of the Head of State,...
(Supreme Chamber of Control), Chairman of the NBP (National Bank of Poland) or a Civil Rights Spokesman (Ombudsman).
Designated Prime Minister is free to select his co-workers - members of the Council of Ministers. The cabinet he selects must be approved by the 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 ....
by granting him the vote of confidence. Ministerial nominations are signed and handed out by the President of Poland.
The Prime Minister and his ministers take the following pledge before the President of the RP: "Accepting the post of the Prime Minister I solemnly swear that I will faithfully follow the articles of the Constitution and other laws of the Republic of Poland, as well as the good of the Fatherland, and for me the well-being of its citizens will always be the supreme directive." The pledge may be finished with the words "So help me God."
Because of Poland's proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
system, Prime Ministers often rule with the support of a coalition of parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. These coalitions can collapse over political disagreements, causing the average term in office of a Polish Prime Minister to be rather short (typically around 18 months). Since the full restoration of democracy in 1991, only one man, 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...
, has served a full four-year term as Prime Minister. The incumbent Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who has been Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He was a co-founder and is chairman of the Civic Platform party....
is completing his first term and is the first Prime Minister to be re-elected since the fall of the People's Republic of Poland in 1989. Other Prime Ministers have been forced to early resignation, as a result of a loss of confidence, political scandals or defeats at early elections.
The Sejm grants the Council of Ministers vote of no confidence by a majority vote of the statutory number of Representatives at the motion put forward by at least 46 Representatives and naming a new candidate to the post of the Prime Minister (so called constructive vote of no confidence). Such motion can be put to vote not earlier than 7 days after it has been proposed. Second motion can be presented not earlier than three months from the date of submission of the prior motion. Second motion can be submitted before the period of three months expires if it is presented by at least 115 Representatives.
The Prime Minister dissolves the Council of Ministers at the first session of the newly elected Sejm, as well as in the case of: failure to pass by the Sejm of the vote of confidence for the Council of Ministers, passing of the vote of no confidence, or resignation for any other reasons.
Accepting the resignation of the Council of Ministers, the President of the Republic asks them to continue to perform their duties until the new Council of Ministers has been selected, thus preserving the continuity of government and control over the actions of the government administration.
Former Prime Ministers
Former Prime Minister are enlisted to get Biuro Ochrony RząduBiuro Ochrony Rzadu
The Government Protection Bureau is Poland's equivalent of the United States Secret Service, providing antiterrorism and VIP security services for the Polish government.-Subjects of protection:* President of the Republic of Poland...
protection for a period of six months after leaving office.
List of former living Prime Ministers as of 2011:
- Edward BabiuchEdward BabiuchEdward Babiuch was a Polish Communist political figure. He was one of four deputy chairmen of the Polish Council of State 1976–1980. Babiuch briefly served as the Prime Minister of Poland in 1980, from February 18 to August 24 of that year.-References:...
- Wojciech JaruzelskiWojciech JaruzelskiWojciech Witold Jaruzelski is a retired Polish military officer and Communist politician. He was the last Communist leader of Poland from 1981 to 1989, Prime Minister from 1981 to 1985 and the country's head of state from 1985 to 1990. He was also the last commander-in-chief of the Polish People's...
- Zbigniew MessnerZbigniew MessnerZbigniew Messner was a Communist economist and politician in Poland. In 1972, he became Professor of Karol Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice...
- Czesław Kiszczak
- Tadeusz MazowieckiTadeusz MazowieckiTadeusz Mazowiecki is a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.-Biography:Mazowiecki comes from a Polish...
- Jan Krzysztof BieleckiJan Krzysztof BieleckiJan Krzysztof Bielecki is a Polish centre politician. He served as Prime Minister of Poland for most of 1991. He is a member of Civic Platform. Chairman of the Council of the Polish Institute of International Affairs....
- Jan OlszewskiJan OlszewskiJan Ferdynand Olszewski is a Polish lawyer and political figure. He is best known for serving as Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland from 1991 to 1992....
- Waldemar PawlakWaldemar PawlakWaldemar Pawlak is a Polish politician. He twice served as Prime Minister of Poland, briefly in 1992 and again from 1993 to 1995. Since November 2007, he has been Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy. Pawlak is the only person who held the office of Prime Minister twice during the...
- Hanna SuchockaHanna SuchockaHanna 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...
- Józef OleksyJózef OleksyJózef Oleksy is a post-communist Polish politician, former chairman of Democratic Left Alliance ....
- Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz
- Jerzy BuzekJerzy BuzekJerzy 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...
- Leszek MillerLeszek MillerLeszek Cezary Miller is a Polish central-left-wing politician, leader of the Democratic Left Alliance , Prime Minister of the government of the Republic of Poland in 2001-2004.-Childhood and youth:...
- Marek BelkaMarek BelkaMarek Marian Belka is a Polish professor of Economics, a former Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Poland, former Director of the International Monetary Fund's European Department and current Head of National Bank of Poland.- Biography :...
- Kazimierz MarcinkiewiczKazimierz MarcinkiewiczKazimierz Marcinkiewicz is a Polish conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland from October 31, 2005 to July 14, 2006...
- Jarosław Kaczyński
Age upon entering office
People's Republic of Poland:- Edward Osóbka-MorawskiEdward Osóbka-MorawskiEdward Osóbka-Morawski was a Polish activist in PPS before World War II, and after the Soviet takover of Poland, Chairman of the Communist interim government called the Polish Committee of National Liberation formed in Lublin with Stalin's approval and backing.In October 1944, Osóbka-Morawski...
- 35 - Józef CyrankiewiczJózef CyrankiewiczJózef Cyrankiewicz was a Polish Socialist, after 1948 Communist political figure. He served as premier of the People's Republic of Poland between 1947 and 1952, and again between 1954 and 1970...
(1st time) - 35 - Bolesław Bierut - 60
- Józef CyrankiewiczJózef CyrankiewiczJózef Cyrankiewicz was a Polish Socialist, after 1948 Communist political figure. He served as premier of the People's Republic of Poland between 1947 and 1952, and again between 1954 and 1970...
(2nd time) - 42 - Piotr JaroszewiczPiotr JaroszewiczGen. Piotr Jaroszewicz was a Polish Communist political figure. He served as the Prime Minister of Poland between 1970 and 1980.Piotr Jaroszewicz was born on 8 October 1909 in Nieśwież. After finishing the secondary school in Jasło he started working as a teacher and headmaster in Garwolin...
- 61 - Edward Babiuch - 52
- Józef PińkowskiJózef PinkowskiJózef Pińkowski was a Polish Communist politician who served as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1981....
- 51 - Wojciech Jaruzelski - 57
- Zbigniew Messner - 56
- Mieczysław Rakowski - 61
- Czesław Kiszczak - 63
3rd Republic:
- Tadeusz Mazowiecki - 62
- Jan Krzysztof Bielecki - 39
- Jan Olszewski - 61
- Waldemar Pawlak (1st time) - 32
- Hanna Suchocka - 46
- Waldemar Pawlak (2nd time) - 34
- Józef Oleksy - 48
- Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz - 46
- Jerzy Buzek - 57
- Leszek Miller - 54
- Marek Belka - 52
- Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz - 45
- Jarosław Kaczyński - 57
- Donald Tusk - 50
See also
- Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of PolandDeputy Prime Minister of the Republic of PolandDeputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland is the deputy of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland and member of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland. He can also be one of the ministers of Poland.-People's Poland :...
- President of the Republic of PolandPresident of the Republic of PolandThe President of the Republic of Poland is the Polish head of state. His or her rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Poland....
- List of Polish rulers