Waldemar Pawlak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brigadier General Waldemar Pawlak
Pawlak in 2025
Prime Minister of Poland
In office 26 October 1993 – 6 March 1995
President	Lech Wałęsa
Deputy	Aleksander Łuczak Marek Borowski Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz
Preceded by	Hanna Suchocka
Succeeded by	Józef Oleksy
Caretaker 5 June 1992 – 10 July 1992
President	Lech Wałęsa
Preceded by	Jan Olszewski
Succeeded by	Hanna Suchocka
Deputy Prime Minister of Poland
In office 16 November 2007 – 27 November 2012
Prime Minister	Donald Tusk
Preceded by	Zyta Gilowska Przemysław Gosiewski
Succeeded by	Janusz Piechociński
Minister of Economy
In office 16 November 2007 – 27 November 2012
Prime Minister	Donald Tusk
Deputy	Adam Szejnfeld
Preceded by	Piotr Woźniak
Succeeded by	Janusz Piechociński
Leader of the Polish People's Party
In office 29 January 2005 – 17 November 2012
Preceded by	Janusz Wojciechowski
Succeeded by	Janusz Piechociński
In office 29 June 1991 – 11 October 1997
Preceded by	Roman Bartoszcze
Succeeded by	Jarosław Kalinowski
Member of the Sejm
In office 18 June 1989 – 11 November 2015
Constituency	16 – Płock
Member of the Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 November 2023
Personal details
Born	(1959-09-05) 5 September 1959 (age 65) Model, Poland
Political party	Polish People's Party
Spouse	Elżbieta Pawlak
Profession	Mechanician, farmer, teacher
Awards

Deputy Prime Minister W. Pawlak at the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia in Istanbul 2008

Waldemar Pawlak (born 5 September 1959) is a Polish politician. He served as Prime Minister of Poland two times. His first time was briefly in 1992, and then again from 1993 to 1995. From November 2007 to November 2012, he was the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy. Pawlak holds the record for being Poland's youngest prime minister ever.

He is also a long-time leader in the Polish Volunteer fire department, holding the high rank of Brigadier General. Since 2015, Pawlak has been helping the Agency for the Modernisation of Ukraine (AMU) with his knowledge of economics.

Early Life and Education

Pawlak was born in the village of Model, Masovian Voivodeship on 5 September 1959. He studied at the Warsaw University of Technology and earned an engineering degree. As a student, he took part in protests against Poland's martial law from 1981 to 1983. After graduating, he briefly managed a small farm in eastern Poland. This experience helped him connect with Polish farmers later in his political career.

In 1984, Pawlak became a computer teacher in Kamionka. His journey in politics began in 1985 when he joined the United People's Party. After 1990, he joined the Polish People's Party, which took over from the UPP. He was elected to the Polish parliament, called the Sejm, in 1989 and has been a member since then. He became the leader of the Polish People's Party in 1991.

Waldemar Pawlak's Time as Prime Minister

First Term as Prime Minister

On 5 June 1992, the previous prime minister, Jan Olszewski, had to step down after a special vote in parliament. This event was known as "the nightshift". After Olszewski left office, President Lech Wałęsa chose Pawlak to be a temporary prime minister. Pawlak's job was to try and form a new government with other political groups.

For 33 days, Pawlak worked as a temporary leader. However, he could not get enough support from the Sejm (parliament) to form a lasting government. Because of this, Pawlak had to resign. President Wałęsa then chose Hanna Suchocka to be the new prime minister, and she successfully formed a government.

Even though Pawlak's first time as prime minister was very short (only 33 days), he gained a lot of respect. This experience helped him prepare for his second time in office in 1993.

Second Term as Prime Minister

In the 1993 election, Pawlak's Polish People's Party and the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) won by a lot. They had enough votes to form a strong government, and Pawlak became prime minister again.

During his second term, Pawlak was known for being quiet and not liking to talk to journalists much. He also showed his support for ordinary Poles by giving up his fancy prime ministerial car for a Polish-made one. This was a popular move when many people in Poland were facing economic challenges.

As prime minister, Pawlak worked on many policies to help workers and make companies more responsible. He was seen as a leader who cared deeply about Polish farmers.

Later Political Career

After his time as prime minister, Pawlak ran for president in 1995 but did not win. He later lost his position as party leader in 1997. The Polish People's Party also faced a difficult election in 1997, losing many seats in parliament.

Pawlak made a political comeback in 2005 when he became the leader of the Polish People's Party again. After the 2007 election, he became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy in a government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Even though his party was the smallest in parliament, Pawlak was seen as very successful. Under his leadership, the party improved its election results and gained more influence in rural areas. In 2010, Pawlak ran for president again but did not win enough votes to move to the second round.

In 2023, he was elected to the Senate, which is the upper house of the Polish parliament.

Personal Life

Pawlak is married and has two children.

Second Waldemar Pawlak Cabinet Members

Here are some of the key people who worked in Waldemar Pawlak's second government:

• Prime Minister: Waldemar Pawlak (PSL)
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance: Marek Borowski (SLD)
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice: Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz (SLD)
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education: Aleksander Łuczak (PSL)
• Minister of Defense: Piotr Kołodziejczyk
• Minister of Labor: Leszek Miller (SLD)
• Minister of Foreign Affairs: Andrzej Olechowski
• Minister of Agriculture: Andrzej Śmietanko (PSL)
• Minister of Health: Ryszard Żochowski (SLD)

See also

In Spanish: Waldemar Pawlak para niños