Aleksander Kwa?niewski

1973–1991: Early political career

In the years 1973 to 1977, Aleksander Kwa?niewski studied transport economics and foreign trade at the University of Gda?sk, though he never graduated. He became politically active at this time, and joined the ruling Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) in 1977, remaining a member until it was dissolved in 1990. An activist in the communist student movement until 1982, he held, among other positions, the chairmanship of the University Council of the Socialist Union of Polish Students (SZSP) from 1976 to 1977 and the vice-chairmanship of the Gda?sk Voivodship Union from 1977 to 1979. Kwa?niewski was a member of the SZSP supreme authorities from 1977 to 1982. From November 1981 to February 1984 he was the editor-in-chief of the student weekly ITD, then editor-in-chief of the daily Sztandar M?odych from 1984 to 1985. He was a co-founder of the first computer-science periodical in Poland, Bajtek, in 1985.

Related Topics:
1973 - 1977 - University of Gda?sk - Polish United Workers' Party - 1990 - 1982 - 1976 - Gda?sk Voivodship - 1979 - 1981 - 1984 - 1985

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From 1985 to 1987, Kwa?niewski was Minister for Youth Affairs in the Zbigniew Messner government, and then Chairman of the Committee for Youth and Physical Culture till June 1990. He joined the government of Mieczys?law Rakowski, first as a cabinet minister and then as chairman of the government Social-Political Committee from October 1988 to September 1989. A participant in the Round-Table negotiations, he co-chaired the task group for trade-union pluralism with Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Romuald Sosnowski. As the PZPR was wound up, he became a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of the Republic of Poland from January to February 1990, and its first chairman until he assumed the presidency in December 1995. He was also one of the founding members of the Democratic Left Alliance in 1991.

Related Topics:
1987 - Zbigniew Messner - 1990 - Mieczys?law Rakowski - 1988 - 1989 - Round-Table negotiations - Tadeusz Mazowiecki - Romuald Sosnowski - Social Democratic Party - 1995 - Democratic Left Alliance - 1991

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A sports enthusiast, Kwa?niewski was an activist in the Student Sports Union from 1975 to 1979 and the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOL); he later served as PKOL president from 1988 to 1991.

Related Topics:
1975 - 1979

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