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His Excellency
Jerzy Buzek
MEP
Jerzy Buzek 2015.jpg
Buzek in 2015
President of the European Parliament
In office
14 July 2009 – 17 January 2012
Deputy
See list
Giovanni Pittella
Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou
Stavros Lambrinidis
Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez
Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Dagmar Roth-Behrendt
Libor Rouček
Isabelle Durant
Roberta Angelilli
Diana Wallis
Pál Schmitt
Edward McMillan-Scott
Rainer Wieland
Silvana Koch-Mehrin
Preceded by Hans-Gert Pöttering
Succeeded by Martin Schulz
Prime Minister of Poland
In office
31 October 1997 – 19 October 2001
President Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Deputy
See list
Longin Komołowski
Leszek Balcerowicz
Janusz Tomaszewski
Janusz Steinhoff
Preceded by Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz
Succeeded by Leszek Miller
Personal details
Born
Jerzy Karol Buzek

(1940-07-03) 3 July 1940 (age 85)
Smilowitz, Nazi Germany (now Czech Republic)
Political party Civic Platform
Other political
affiliations		 European People's Party
Spouse Ludgarda Buzek
Children Agata
Education Silesian University of Technology
Awards Order of the White Eagle (Poland) Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana Order of Isabella the Catholic
Signature

Jerzy Karol Buzek (born 3 July 1940) is a Polish politician. He was the Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001. Later, he became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2004. From 2009 to 2012, he was the President of the European Parliament. He is married to Ludgarda Buzek and is the father of Polish actress Agata Buzek.

Early Life and Education

Jerzy Karol Buzek was born on July 3, 1940. His family was Lutheran. They lived in Smilovice, which is now part of the Czech Republic. At that time, it was part of Nazi Germany.

His family was well-known in Polish politics. They were part of the Polish community in the Trans-Olza region. Jerzy's father was an engineer. After World War II, his family moved to Chorzów, Poland.

In 1963, Jerzy Buzek finished his studies at the Silesian University of Technology. He studied chemical engineering. This means he learned how to design and operate chemical processes.

Professional Career

After college, Jerzy Buzek became a scientist. He worked at the Chemical Engineering Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 1997, he became a professor of technical science. He has also received honorary doctorates from universities in Seoul and Dortmund.

From 1997 to 2001, Buzek served as the Prime Minister of Poland. This is a very important leadership role in the country.

In 1998, he won the Grzegorz Palka Award. He was also named European of the Year by a business group. The Polish magazine Wprost named him 'Person of the Year' twice, in 1998 and 2009. When he won the second time, he was the President of the European Parliament. He noted that he was the first winner honored for his work outside Poland.

Jerzy Buzek was the first Prime Minister of Poland to serve a full term. He was also the first Lutheran Prime Minister in Poland's history.

After the 2001 elections, he took a break from politics. He went back to his scientific work. He became a prorector at Akademia Polonijna in Częstochowa. He also became a professor at the Opole University of Technology.

In 2004, he returned to politics. He was elected to the European Parliament for Katowice. He received the most votes in Poland. He was part of the Civic Platform party.

In 2011, he received an honorary award from the Institution of Chemical Engineers. This happened while he was President of the European Parliament.

Political Journey

In the 1980s, Jerzy Buzek was active in movements against communism in Poland. He was part of the Solidarity trade union. This union worked to bring change and freedom to communist Poland. He helped organize the union's underground groups when it was not allowed.

Buzek was a member of the Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS). He helped create their economic plans. In 1997, he was elected to the Sejm, which is the lower house of the Polish Parliament. Soon after, he became the Prime Minister of Poland.

Jerzy Buzek's Government

From 1997 to 2001, Jerzy Buzek led the Polish government. First, it was a coalition government with the AWS and Freedom Union. Later, it became an AWS minority government.

His government made four big changes:

  • They reformed how local governments worked in Poland.
  • They changed the pension system, which helps people save for retirement.
  • They improved the education system.
  • They reformed the medical care system.

In the 2001 elections, his party lost. Buzek then stepped down as chairman of the AWS Social Movement.

Member of the European Parliament

On June 13, 2004, Jerzy Buzek was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He represented the Silesian Voivodeship region of Poland. He received a huge number of votes, showing his popularity. His party is the Civic Platform, which is part of the European People's Party.

In the European Parliament, he worked on important committees. He was a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. He also worked on a program for research and development for the EU.

In 2009, he was re-elected as an MEP. He received even more votes this time. In 2018, he voted to approve a new rule about copyright for digital content.

From 2014 to 2019, he was the leader of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. This committee handles important topics like industrial policy, research, energy, and new technologies.

President of the European Parliament

Flickr - europeanpeoplesparty - EPP Summit September 2010 (81)
Jerzy Buzek with Viktor Orbán, at an EPP meeting in September 2010

On July 14, 2009, Buzek was chosen as the President of the European Parliament. He received a record number of votes. He was the first person from the former Eastern Bloc (countries that were under Soviet influence) to hold this position. He took over from Hans-Gert Pöttering.

Buzek promised to focus on human rights and partnerships with Eastern European countries. His term as President lasted two and a half years.

In his first speech, Buzek said the European Parliament faced big challenges. These included the economic crisis, European unity, human rights, and making changes within the Parliament itself. He also wanted to work on the economy, unemployment, energy safety, and climate change. He stressed that the Lisbon Treaty was important for the EU to be "well-organized and effective."

In December 2009, Buzek received the "Staatspreis award." This award honored his achievements. He donated the prize money to the European Humanities University. This is a Belarusian university that operates in exile.

The Lisbon Treaty became active shortly after Buzek became President. This treaty gave the European Parliament much more power. It meant Parliament had equal rights with the Council of Ministers in many new areas. These areas included agriculture, energy, immigration, and health.

In 2011, Buzek's presidency supported new laws called the 'Sixpack'. These laws aimed to help manage the economy and prevent future financial crises in Europe. Buzek said these laws would make EU budgets more reliable.

One of Buzek's challenges was dealing with claims of corruption against some MEPs. To address this, a new code of conduct was created for MEPs. This code set rules for how MEPs should act to avoid conflicts of interest. It required them to declare their outside jobs and gifts. It also banned them from taking money to influence decisions. Buzek said that with more power, the European Parliament needed more openness and accountability.

Personal Life

Jerzy Buzek is a fan of the Ruch Chorzów football club.

Awards and Honors

  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain, 2001).
  • In 2010, he received the Collier award from the Fondation du Mérite européen.
  • In 2020, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award at The Parliament Magazine's MEP Awards.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jerzy Buzek para niños

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