Robert Biedroń facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Biedroń
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Co-leader of New Left | |
| Assumed office 9 October 2021 Serving with Włodzimierz Czarzasty
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| Preceded by | office established |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2019 |
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| Constituency | Warsaw |
| Leader of Spring | |
| In office 3 February 2019 – 11 June 2021 |
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| Preceded by | office established |
| Succeeded by | party dissolved |
| Mayor of Słupsk | |
| In office 6 December 2014 – 21 November 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Maciej Kobyliński |
| Succeeded by | Krystyna Danilecka-Wojewódzka |
| Member of the Sejm | |
| In office 9 October 2011 – 6 December 2014 |
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| Constituency | 26-Słupsk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 April 1976 Rymanów, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland |
| Political party | New Left (Since 2021) Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (Since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic Left Alliance (1998–2005) Your Movement (2011–2019) Spring (2019–2021) |
| Spouse | Krzysztof Śmiszek (2002–present) |
| Alma mater | University of Warmia |
Robert Biedroń (born 13 April 1976) is a Polish politician. He used to be the mayor of the city of Słupsk. Since 2019, he has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He also leads the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality in the European Parliament.
Before becoming an MEP, Robert Biedroń was a member of the Sejm. The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. He served there from 2011 to 2014. He was also part of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. From 2014 to 2018, he served as the mayor of Słupsk.
In 2019, he started a new political party called Spring. He was elected to the European Parliament as a member of this party. He is one of the three leaders of "The Left" (Lewica). This is a group of political parties in Poland. He also ran to become the president of Poland in 2020. He received 2.21 percent of the votes.
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Early Life and Education
Robert Biedroń was born on 13 April 1976 in Rymanów, Poland. He grew up in a town called Krosno.
He finished high school in Ustrzyki Dolne. He then studied political science at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. He earned his first degree in 2000 and a master's degree in 2003. He also studied at the School of Political and Social Leaders. He attended the School of Human Rights at the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.
Robert Biedroń can speak several languages. These include English, French, Russian, Esperanto, and Italian.
Working for Change (Activism)
Robert Biedroń has worked with groups that support human rights for many years. After his studies, he went to London and joined a group called OutRage!.
He took part in the first Gay Pride event ever held in Poland in 2001. In September 2001, he helped start a Polish group called the Campaign Against Homophobia. This group works to fight against unfair treatment.
His work for human rights has been recognized many times. He received awards like the "Rainbow Laurels" in 2003 and was named "Rainbow Man" in 2004.
He believes in separating church and state. He also supports removing religious classes from public schools. He is a strong supporter of women's rights and equal rights for all people.
Biedroń started a group called the Institute for Democratic Thought. This group studies how Poland might change in the future. It also suggests new ideas for policies. He also created the "Progressive Cities" network. This network helps cities work together and share good ideas. It aims to support local politics that involve citizens and are open.
Robert Biedroń has written several books. One book, Turn Democracy On, teaches children about how democracy works. He also wrote his autobiography, Against the current. Another book, New Chapter, shares his political thoughts.
His Political Journey
Starting in Politics (2005–2014)
In 2005, Robert Biedroń tried to become a member of the Sejm. He ran as a candidate for the Democratic Left Alliance party, but he was not elected. In the 2011 elections, he was elected to the Sejm. He received 16,919 votes in the Gdynia area. He was the first openly gay person to become a member of the Sejm.
Serving in Parliament (2011–2014)
While he was a member of the Sejm, Robert Biedroń had important roles. He was the vice-president of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. He was also a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
He was also part of the Polish group sent to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He served there from 2012 to 2015.
Leading Słupsk as Mayor (2014–2018)
In 2014, Robert Biedroń ran for mayor of Słupsk. This city has about 95,000 people. He won the election with 57% of the votes. He became the first openly gay mayor in Poland.
When he became mayor, Słupsk had a lot of debt. Robert Biedroń decided to save money. For example, he stopped using an official car. He also asked the City Council to lower his own salary. He closed some local offices to cut costs. By 2017, the city's debt had gone down a lot.
During his time as mayor, Biedroń focused on protecting the environment. He also worked for equality and involved citizens in decisions. The city improved its public buildings to save energy. He started the "Red Couch" idea, where he would sit in public places to talk with people. He also created groups like the Women's Council and the Seniors' Council. He refused to let circuses with wild animals perform in Słupsk. He also opened a new animal shelter.
As mayor, Biedroń was part of the Congress of the Council of Europe. He was also a member of a group that advises the United Nations on gender and protection issues.
He did not run for mayor again in 2018. Instead, he supported his deputy mayor, Krystyna Danilecka-Wojewódzka.
Leading a New Party (Spring)
In September 2018, Robert Biedroń started a new political movement. He wanted it to challenge the ruling party in Poland. He then held events called "Brainstormings with Biedroń." These events were about discussing the future of Poland. Many people attended these discussions.
In December, he announced some goals for his new party. These included closing all coal mines in Poland by 2035. He also wanted to improve the healthcare system. Another goal was to stop government money going to the church.
In February 2019, Biedroń officially started his new political party called Spring (Polish: Wiosna). He wanted to create a different choice from the two main political parties in Poland. Spring won 6.1% of the votes in the European elections. Robert Biedroń was elected as a Member of the European Parliament on 26 May 2019.
Before the 2019 parliamentary election, he helped create "The Left" (Lewica). This is a group of political parties. He is one of its three leaders. In January 2020, this group chose him to be their candidate for the 2020 presidential election.
Working in the European Parliament (2019–present)
After being elected to the European Parliament, Robert Biedroń joined important committees. He serves on the Committee on Budgets. He also serves on the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. He leads the group that works with Belarus. He is also a member of the group that works with Canada. He belongs to a larger political group called the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.
Robert Biedroń is currently the Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM).
In June 2023, he received an award for Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact. This award was given by The Parliament Magazine.
Running for President (2020)
In January 2020, Robert Biedroń was chosen as a candidate for president of Poland. He was supported by several political parties. These included the Democratic Left Alliance, Left Together, and Spring. The Polish Socialist Party also supported him. The election was planned for May 2020 but was postponed.
Awards and Recognition
- The title of 'Rainbow Man' (2004)
- Recognized as one of the 10 best Members of Parliament by Polityka magazine (2014)
- Radio Tok FM's Anna Laszuk Award (2015)
- Women's Congress Diversity Award (2016)
- Ranked 8th among best city mayors by Newsweek (2016)
- Received the French National Order of Merit (July 20, 2016)
- Ranked 13th among best city mayors by Newsweek (2017)
- Special Equality Crown Award from the Campaign Against Homophobia (2021)
- Alan Turing LGBTIQ+ Awards Premio Especial for fighting for human rights and visibility (2022)
- The Rainbow Laurel (2000)
- The Parliament MEP Award in the Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact category (June 27, 2023)
See also
In Spanish: Robert Biedroń para niños
