Jarosław Kaczyński facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jarosław Kaczyński
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Kaczyński in 2022
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| Deputy Prime Minister of Poland | |
| In office 21 June 2023 – 27 November 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Mateusz Morawiecki |
| Preceded by |
See list
Mariusz Błaszczak
Piotr Gliński Henryk Kowalczyk Jacek Sasin |
| Succeeded by |
See list
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
Krzysztof Gawkowski |
| In office 6 October 2020 – 21 June 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Mateusz Morawiecki |
| Preceded by | Jadwiga Emilewicz |
| Succeeded by | Mariusz Błaszczak |
| Prime Minister of Poland | |
| In office 14 July 2006 – 16 November 2007 |
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| President | Lech Kaczyński |
| Deputy |
See list
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| Preceded by | Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz |
| Succeeded by | Donald Tusk |
| Leader of Law and Justice | |
| Assumed office 18 January 2003 |
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| General Secretary |
See list
Joachim Brudziński (8 July 2006 - 12 January 2008)
Jarosław Zieliński (12 January 2008 - 10 October 2009) Krzysztof Sobolewski (4 July 2021- 25 October 2023) Piotr Milowański (acting; 25 October 2023 - 16 December 2023) Piotr Milowański (since 16 December 2023) |
| Parliamentary Leader |
See list
Ludwik Dorn (18 January 2003 - 3 November 2005)
Przemysław Gosiewski ( 3 November 2005 - 19 July 2006) Marek Kuchciński (19 July 2006 - 13 November 2007) Przemysław Gosiewski (13 November 2007 - 6 January 2010) Grażyna Gęsicka (6 January 2010 - 10 April 2010) Marek Kuchciński (acting; 10 April 2010 - 3 August 2010) Mariusz Błaszczak (3 August 2010 - 11 November 2015) Ryszard Terlecki (11 November 2015 - 23 November 2023) Mariusz Błaszczak (since 23 November 2023) |
| Preceded by | Lech Kaczyński |
| Chief of the Presidential Chancellery | |
| In office 22 December 1990 – 31 October 1991 |
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| President | Lech Wałęsa |
| Preceded by | Michał Janiszewski |
| Succeeded by | Janusz Ziółkowski |
| Member of the Sejm | |
| Assumed office 31 October 1997 |
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| Constituency |
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| In office 6 December 1991 – 26 October 1993 |
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| Constituency | Warsaw I |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jarosław Aleksander Kaczyński
18 June 1949 Warsaw, Poland |
| Political party | Law and Justice (2001–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Alma mater | University of Warsaw (LL.D.) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Awards |   |
| Signature |  |
Jarosław Aleksander Kaczyński (born on 18 June 1949) is a Polish politician. He is known for co-founding the Law and Justice (PiS) party in 2001. He started the party with his twin brother, Lech. Since 2003, he has been the long-time leader of the party.
Kaczyński served as the Prime Minister of Poland from 2006 to 2007. He has also been the Deputy Prime Minister of Poland two times. The first time was from 2020 to 2022, and the second time was from June to November 2023. He is seen as a very influential figure in Polish politics. This was especially true when his party, PiS, was in power from 2005 to 2007 and again from 2015 to 2023.
As a student, Jarosław Kaczyński took part in protests in March 1968. Later, he joined groups that opposed the communist government. He worked with the Workers' Defence Committee (KOR) and KSS KOR. He was arrested during protests in August 1980 and then joined the Solidarity movement. In 1982, he became a member of the Polish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights. He also took part in the strikes of 1988.
In 1989, Kaczyński was part of the Round Table talks. These talks helped Poland move away from communism. From 1989 to 1991, he was a senator. In 1990, he started the Centre Agreement party and led it until 1998. He also led the office of President Lech Wałęsa from 1990 to 1991. He has been a Member of Parliament for many years, from 1991 to 1993 and continuously since 1997.
In 2001, he co-founded the PiS party with his twin brother, Lech Kaczyński. He became its leader in 2003. When he was prime minister (2006-2007), his brother Lech was the president. After PiS lost the election in 2007, Jarosław Kaczyński became the main leader of the opposition. After his brother died in a plane crash, Jarosław Kaczyński ran for president in 2010 but lost.
After PiS won the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2015, Kaczyński was seen as one of the most powerful politicians in Poland. In 2020, he became Deputy Prime Minister. He was in charge of defense, justice, and interior ministries. He left the government in November 2023. This happened after his party did not win enough seats in the 2023 election.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jarosław Kaczyński was born on 18 June 1949, in Warsaw. He is the identical twin brother of Lech Kaczyński. His father, Rajmund Kaczyński, was an engineer and a soldier in the Armia Krajowa during World War II. His mother, Jadwiga Kaczyńska, was a language expert at the Polish Academy of Sciences.
When they were children, Jarosław and his brother starred in a 1962 Polish film. It was called The Two Who Stole the Moon. This movie was based on a popular children's story. Kaczyński studied law at Warsaw University. In 1976, he earned a law degree. His final paper was about the role of groups in leading universities.
Political Journey
Fighting Communism
During his time at university, Jarosław Kaczyński took part in student protests in March 1968. In 1976, he started working with the Workers' Defence Committee (KOR). This group was formed to protect workers from the communist government. KOR later changed into the Committee for Social Self-Defense (KSS KOR). This new group aimed to do more to oppose the government.
Jarosław Kaczyński worked in the Intervention Office of KSS KOR. This office recorded human rights problems caused by the government. It also helped people who were being treated unfairly. Kaczyński looked into cases where police officers had committed crimes.
In 1979, Kaczyński also joined the team that edited Głos magazine. This magazine was linked to KSS KOR. During the communist era, Kaczyński worked for several groups that opposed the government. These included the Workers' Defence Committee and the Solidarity trade union. He was also the main editor of the Tygodnik Solidarność weekly magazine from 1989 to 1991.
Political Roles in the 1990s
In 1991, Kaczyński started the Centre Agreement party. This party was conservative and Christian democratic. He led this party until 1998. From 1991 to 1993, and then again since 1997, Kaczyński has been a member of the Sejm. The Sejm is Poland's main parliament.
In 1990, he worked for the president of Poland, Lech Wałęsa. He was the head of the president's office. Later, Wałęsa removed Kaczyński from this role. Kaczyński then led protests against him.
Elections and Leadership
In the 2005 Polish parliamentary election, Kaczyński was the candidate for prime minister for the Law and Justice party. His party won the election. However, he decided not to become prime minister himself. He thought that if he became prime minister, it might hurt his brother Lech's chances in the presidential election. So, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz was chosen as prime minister instead.
Even though he wasn't prime minister, Kaczyński had a lot of influence on the government's decisions. He helped form a government with other parties, including the Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland and the League of Polish Families.
Becoming Prime Minister: 2006–2007
After some disagreements, Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz resigned in July 2006. Jarosław Kaczyński was then appointed prime minister by his brother, President Lech Kaczyński. He officially took office on 14 July. They were the first twin brothers in the world to serve as both president and prime minister of a country.
During his time as prime minister, Kaczyński started a program called Lustracja. This program required many public workers, teachers, and journalists to say if they had worked with the old communist government's security services. In 2006, he also created a Central Anticorruption Bureau. This office had strong powers to fight corruption. His government also changed Poland's approach to the European Union. They took a more cautious view, different from past Polish governments. His government also reduced taxes.
After the 2007 Election
In the 2007 parliamentary election, Law and Justice got more votes than before. However, they still lost to the Civic Platform party. Jarosław Kaczyński was replaced as prime minister by Donald Tusk. Kaczyński remained the leader of the Law and Justice party and became the leader of the opposition.
2010 Presidential Election
After his brother died in a plane crash, Jarosław Kaczyński decided to run for president in 2010. He ran against Bronisław Komorowski. During his campaign, he tried to present a softer image to attract more voters. His campaign slogan was Poland Comes First. He lost the election to Komorowski in the second round.
Political Influence After 2015
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To gain more support, Kaczyński chose other party members to run for president and prime minister in the 2015 elections. Andrzej Duda ran for president, and Beata Szydło ran for prime minister. Law and Justice won both elections. They became the first party since the end of communism to win a clear majority in parliament.
Even though he is very popular with his party's supporters, Kaczyński is not as popular with the general public. In 2017, some people called him the real leader of Poland. In 2020, Kaczyński became Deputy Prime Minister in the government led by Mateusz Morawiecki. He said in late 2021 that he would step down in early 2022 to focus on leading his party. He officially stepped down on 21 June 2022.
In April 2020, on the anniversary of the Smolensk air disaster, Kaczyński and nine other people visited his mother's grave. They also visited the symbolic grave of his twin brother. This happened even though cemeteries were closed to the public due to COVID-19 rules. The police said it was not a large gathering, but it caused some discussion.
In May 2020, a Polish radio station, Trójka, was accused of trying to hide a song. The song, "Twój ból jest lepszy niż mój" ("Your Pain is Better Than Mine"), was by Kazik Staszewski. It was seen as critical of the Law and Justice party. When the song reached number one on the station's weekly chart, the station removed it from their website. The station director claimed the chart was rigged. This led to the host and music head of the station resigning.
Political Ideas
Jarosław Kaczyński believes in a "moral revolution" for Poland. He wants to create a "fourth republic" that is very different from the past. He wants Poland to return to its conservative, Roman Catholic roots. He is known for his strong views. He often criticizes parts of the media and political groups.
Kaczyński is also known for supporting animal rights. He has worked to ban the breeding of fur animals. He is considered a Eurosceptic. This means he is cautious about the European Union.
Personal Life
Kaczyński is a practicing Roman Catholic. He has never married and does not have children. He lived with his mother until she became ill. He does not own a computer. He reportedly opened his first bank account only in 2009. On December 7, 2024, Kaczyński joined the social media site X (formerly Twitter). He owns two cats and is known as a "feline enthusiast".
Old government files from the communist era described Kaczyński. They said he was "very uncertain about his fate" and "careless" in his appearance. The files also noted that he was not interested in money or having a family. He was described as calm and like a "bookworm." The files also stated that he refused to cooperate with the old security services.
Honors and Awards
- Poland:
- Title "Man of the Year" by Gazeta Polska magazine (2004, 2015, 2019)
- Title "Man of the Year" by Wprost magazine (2005, 2015)
- Title "Man of the Year" by Polish municipal associations (2005)
- Title "Man of the Year 2014" by the Economic Forum (2015)
- Title "Man of Freedom" by Sieci magazine (2016, 2021)
- 25th anniversary award of Gazeta Polska (2018)
- Georgia:
St. George's Order of Victory (2013)
- Ukraine:
Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 2nd class (2022)
See Also
In Spanish: Jarosław Kaczyński para niños
- Polish nationalism
- List of Law and Justice politicians
- Janina Goss
