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Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz
Radosław Sikorski i Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz (2011) (cropped).jpg
Marcinkiewicz in 2011
Prime Minister of Poland
In office
31 October 2005 – 14 July 2006
President Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Lech Kaczyński
Deputy Ludwik Dorn
Zyta Gilowska
Roman Giertych
Andrzej Lepper
Preceded by Marek Belka
Succeeded by Jarosław Kaczyński
Mayor of Warsaw
Acting
In office
20 July 2006 – 2 December 2006
Preceded by Mirosław Kochalski (Acting)
Succeeded by Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz
Personal details
Born (1959-12-20) 20 December 1959 (age 65)
Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland
Political party Law and Justice
Other political
affiliations
European Coalition (2019)
Spouses
Maria Marcinkiewicz
(m. 1981; div. 2009)
Izabela Olchowicz
(m. 2009; div. 2018)
Profession Physicist
Awards Legion of Honour

Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz (born 20 December 1959) is a Polish politician. He is known for serving as the Prime Minister of Poland from October 2005 to July 2006. He was a member of the Law and Justice party.

Early Life and Career

Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz was born in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland. He studied physics at the Wrocław University and graduated in 1984. He also took a special course in Administration later on.

Before becoming a well-known politician, he worked as a teacher. He was an elementary school teacher and even a headmaster in his hometown.

Joining the Solidarity Movement

In the 1980s, Marcinkiewicz was part of the Solidarity movement. This was a big trade union that helped bring about political change in Poland. He also helped edit secret newspapers for the movement.

In 1992, he became a deputy minister in the Ministry of National Education. Later, from 1999 to 2000, he worked as the chief of staff for Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek.

Becoming Prime Minister of Poland

After the Law and Justice party won the elections in September 2005, a big decision was made. The party leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, decided not to become prime minister himself. This was to help his twin brother, Lech Kaczyński, in the upcoming presidential election.

Instead, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, who was not very well-known at the time, became the Prime Minister. He led a government formed by Jarosław Kaczyński, who stayed in the background but was still very important.

Public Recognition and Policies

When he first became Prime Minister, many people didn't know much about Marcinkiewicz. However, he quickly became very active in politics. Because of this, he became well-known and was soon one of the most trusted and popular politicians in Poland.

Marcinkiewicz strongly supported Poland being a member of the European Union (EU). But he did not agree with all ideas for closer EU integration. His government continued the economic policies of earlier governments.

Resignation from Office

There were rumors that Marcinkiewicz and Jarosław Kaczyński had disagreements. On 7 July 2006, Marcinkiewicz resigned from his position. He stated that no one could come between him and Kaczyński. Jarosław Kaczyński then took over as Prime Minister.

Life After Being Prime Minister

After leaving the prime minister's office, Marcinkiewicz took on new roles. On 18 July 2006, he was chosen to be the temporary acting mayor of Warsaw. This meant he was in charge of the city for a short time.

Running for Mayor of Warsaw

In the local elections of 2006, Marcinkiewicz ran to become the official mayor of Warsaw. He was the candidate for the Law and Justice party.

In the first round of voting, he received 38.42% of the votes. His main opponent, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, got 34.15%. In the second round, held on 26 November, Marcinkiewicz received 46.82% of the votes. However, he lost the election to Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.

International Roles

From March 2007 to May 2008, he worked as one of the directors for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. This bank helps countries in Europe develop their economies.

Later, from 2008 to 2013, he worked for Goldman Sachs, a large financial company.

Famous Quotes

Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz became famous for an excited phrase he used. After successful talks about the EU budget on 17 December 2005, he exclaimed, "Yes, yes, yes!"

This phrase became well-known in Polish culture. It symbolized a political success that showed real emotions. It also became a symbol of strong self-confidence. The car company Volkswagen even used a similar phrase in one of its advertisements.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz para niños

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