Andrzej Duda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrzej Duda
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Official portrait, 2019
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| President of Poland | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 6 August 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Ewa Kopacz Beata Szydło Mateusz Morawiecki Donald Tusk |
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| Preceded by | Bronisław Komorowski | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Karol Nawrocki (elect) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Andrzej Sebastian Duda
16 May 1972 Kraków, Poland |
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| Political party | Independent (2015–present) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
Law and Justice (2005–2015) Freedom Union (2000–2001) |
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| Spouse |
Agata Kornhauser-Duda
(m. 1994) |
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| Children | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Presidential Palace | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Jagiellonian University | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  |
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Andrzej Sebastian Duda (born 16 May 1972) is a Polish lawyer and politician. He has been the sixth president of Poland since 2015. Before becoming president, he was a member of the Sejm (Poland's parliament) from 2011 to 2014. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2015.
Andrzej Duda was born in Kraków. He was the presidential candidate for the Law and Justice party (PiS) in the May 2015 election. In the first round, he received 34.76% of the votes. In the second round, he won with 51.55% of the vote. He defeated the president at the time, Bronisław Komorowski. After winning, Duda left his political party, as presidents usually do.
In 2019, his party supported him for re-election in 2020. He won the second round with 51.03% of the votes. During his time as president, Duda has often supported the ideas of the Law and Justice party. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Duda helped organize international support for Ukraine.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Andrzej Sebastian Duda was born on 16 May 1972 in Kraków. His parents, Janina and Jan Tadeusz Duda, were university professors. His grandfather fought in the Polish–Soviet War and was part of the Home Army during World War II.
From 1987 to 1991, Duda went to Jan III Sobieski High School, Kraków. He was very good at subjects like history and literature. Later, he studied law at the Jagiellonian University and earned a law degree. In 2001, he became a research assistant at the university. In 2005, he earned his Doctor of Law degree. He has mostly been on leave from the university since 2006 due to his political career.
Political Journey
Duda started his political career with the Freedom Union party in the early 2000s. After the 2005 elections, he began working with the Law and Justice Party (PiS). He served as an undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Justice from 2006 to 2007. Then, he was a member of the Polish State Tribunal from 2007 to 2008.
From 2008 to 2010, Duda worked for President Lech Kaczyński. In 2010, he ran for Mayor of Kraków but did not win. However, in the 2011 parliamentary election, he was elected as a member of the Sejm for the Kraków area.
In 2013, a news magazine called Polityka praised Duda. They said he was one of the most active members of parliament. He was known for being open to different ideas and avoiding personal attacks. Duda remained a member of the Sejm until he was elected to the European Parliament in 2014.
Presidential Elections
In the 2015 Polish presidential election, Andrzej Duda was the main opponent to the president at the time, Bronisław Komorowski. Duda won the first round of voting. In the second round, he received 51.55% of the votes and became president. On 26 May 2015, he officially left his political party. This is a tradition for presidents in Poland.
In the 2020 Polish presidential election, Duda ran for re-election. He won the first round with almost 44% of the votes. In the second round, he won with 51.03% of the votes.
Presidency (2015–Present)
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Andrzej Duda's first five-year term as president began on 6 August 2015. He took his oath of office during a special session of the National Assembly.
Duda did not agree with the European Union's idea to make countries take a certain number of migrants. He said he would not accept rules forced on Poland that went against its national interests.
In September 2015, Poland's Prime Minister, Ewa Kopacz, said Poland would take in 2,000 people over two years. This was to show "European solidarity."
Duda and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović started the Three Seas Initiative. This is a project to connect countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
Duda has met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping several times. He believes Poland can benefit greatly from China's Belt and Road Initiative. Duda and Xi signed an agreement to work together as long-term partners. Duda hopes Poland can become a main entry point to Europe for China.
In 2017 and 2018, Duda's approval ratings were very high, reaching over 70%. This showed that many people supported his work.
On 27 December 2021, Duda vetoed a bill called Lex TVN. This bill aimed to limit foreign ownership in Polish media.
In June 2023, Duda shared Poland's three main goals for its presidency in the European Union in early 2025. These goals include strengthening ties with the United States. They also involve expanding the EU to include Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans. The third goal is to improve Europe's energy security.
In 2024, Duda criticized plans by Prime Minister Donald Tusk to stop irregular migrants from seeking asylum in Poland. Duda called it a "fatal mistake" that could harm people seeking safety from countries like Russia and Belarus.
Important Decisions and Challenges
In November 2015, Duda pardoned Mariusz Kamiński, a former head of the Central Anticorruption Bureau. Kamiński had been found guilty by a court, but the pardon happened before a final court decision. Some lawyers disagreed with this action.
Duda also faced disagreements regarding the Constitutional Tribunal. He did not swear in some judges chosen by the previous parliament. Instead, he swore in new judges chosen by the current parliament. In December 2015, Duda signed a new law about the Constitutional Tribunal. Some legal experts said this law went against Poland's Constitution. In July 2017, Duda vetoed two other bills about the justice system.
In February 2018, Duda signed a law that made it illegal to accuse 'the Polish nation' of being involved in the Holocaust. This law caused tension with Israel. In September 2022, Duda honored Holocaust survivor Edward Mosberg. He gave Mosberg a high Polish award for his work in improving Polish-Jewish relations.
Views on LGBTQ+ Rights
In June 2020, Duda stated that he would not allow same-sex couples to marry or adopt children. He described the LGBTQ movement as "a foreign ideology." He also promised to ban "LGBTQ teaching" in schools. These comments led to discussions and criticism. Duda later invited an LGBTQ activist to discuss his views. In July 2020, he suggested changing the constitution to ban LGBTQ couples from adopting children.
Foreign Relations
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In October 2017, Duda met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He supported Turkey's goal of joining the European Union.
U.S. President Donald Trump has praised Duda's work. In September 2019, Trump and Duda agreed to send 1,000 U.S. troops to Poland. In June 2020, Trump said the U.S. planned to move some troops from Germany to Poland. He noted that Poland was meeting its financial commitments to NATO.
In February 2022, Duda attended the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Some Polish diplomats questioned this visit because some Western countries were boycotting the Olympics due to human rights concerns in China.
In October 2022, Duda said Poland would be willing to host U.S. nuclear weapons.
In March 2023, Duda visited Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He focused on energy security and cooperation.
On 7 October 2023, he spoke out against Hamas' actions during the Gaza war. He expressed support for Israel and its right to defend itself.
In January 2025, Duda asked Prime Minister Donald Tusk to ensure safe travel for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This was for an event marking 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Netanyahu faced an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. Tusk agreed to guarantee safe passage.
"Lex Tusk" Law
On 29 May 2023, Duda announced he would sign a law called "Lex Tusk." This law created a commission to investigate Russian influence in Poland. The commission was expected to release its first report before the parliamentary elections in September. The law was passed despite the Senate's objections, which called it anti-democratic and possibly against the constitution. In June 2023, the European Commission started legal action against Poland. They were concerned the law might be used against opposition politicians before the elections.
Personal Life
Duda is married to Agata Kornhauser-Duda, who teaches German at a high school in Kraków. They met in high school and married on 21 December 1994. They have one daughter named Kinga, born in 1995. Duda's father-in-law is Julian Kornhauser, a well-known writer.
Duda enjoys skiing and participated in university skiing championships. He is a practicing Roman Catholic and often takes part in public religious ceremonies.
Awards and Honors
Polish Honors
Poland: Order of the White Eagle- Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
International Honors
Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (2015)
Bulgaria: I Class of the Order of the Balkan Mountains (2016)
Czech Republic: Collar of the Order of the White Lion (2016)
Finland: Grand Cross with Collar Order of the White Rose of Finland (2017)
Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (2017)
Italy: Knight Grand Cross decorated with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2023)
Jordan: Bejewelled Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance (2024)
Latvia: Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of the Three Stars (2018)
Lithuania: Grand Cross with Golden Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great (2019)
Norway: Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav (2016)
Portugal: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit Grand Cross (2008)
Romania: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania (2016)
Slovakia: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Double Cross (2019)
Hungary: Grand Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit (2021)
Ukraine: Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class (2021)
International Olympic Committee: Gold Olympic Order (2022)
North Macedonia: Grand Cross of the Order 8-September (2022)
South Korea: Grand Order of Mugunghwa (2023)- Latvia: Commander of the Grand Cross of the Cross of Recognition (2025)
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Collar of the Order pro Merito Melitensi (2025)
Estonia: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (2025)- Ukraine: Order of Liberty (2025)
Images for kids
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Andrzej Duda's signature
See also
In Spanish: Andrzej Duda para niños
