Aleksander Kwa?niewski

1995–2005: Presidency

In an often bitter campaign, Aleksander Kwa?niewski won the presidential election in 1995, collecting 51.7 percent of votes in the run-off, against 48.3 percent for the incumbent, Lech Wa??sa, the former Solidarity leader. Kwa?niewski's campaign slogans were "Let's choose the future" (Wybierzmy przysz?o??) and "A Poland for all" (Wspólna Polska). Political opponents disputed his victory, claiming that he had lied about his education in registration documents, implying that he had graduated from university; a court challenge proved unsuccesful.

Related Topics:
1995 - Run-off - Lech Wa??sa - Solidarity

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Kwa?niewski took the presidential oath of office on December 231995. Later the same day, he was sworn in as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces at the Warszawa First Fighter Wing, in Mi?sk Mazowiecki.

Related Topics:
Oath of office - December 23 - 1995 - Mi?sk Mazowiecki

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Despite the polarization brought about by his election, and opposition fears that a Kwa?niewski presidency would signal a return to communism, he proved a surprisingly popular leader. His political course resembled that of Wa??sa's in several key respects, such as the pursuit of closer ties to the European Union and NATO, and the transition to a market economy and the privatization of state-owned enterprises, but he was able to avoid the conflicts with the Sejm that had often characterized his predecessor's term of office.

Related Topics:
Communism - European Union - NATO - Market economy - Privatization - Sejm

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An initial success of Kwa?niewski's was his ability to bring about a new Constitution of Poland to replace the modified Stalinist document then still in use. The failure to create a new document had been a criticism often leveled at Wa??sa. Kwa?niewski actively campaigned for its approval in the subsequent referendum, and he signed it into law on July 161997.

Related Topics:
Constitution of Poland - Stalin - July 16 - 1997

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Kwa?niewski took an active part in the efforts to secure Polish membership of NATO. He headed Poland's delegation at the 1997 Madrid summit, where Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary were promised membership; and the Washington summit, where on February 261999, during the Kosovo conflict, which he supported, he signed the instruments ratifying Poland's membership of NATO. He also took active part in promoting further enlargement of the alliance, speaking out in favor of membership for a further seven states (see Prague summit) and the open-door policy that leaves open the option of further members. He was an author of the 2002 Riga Initiative, a forum for cooperation between Central European states, aimed towards further enlargement of NATO and the European Union.

Related Topics:
NATO - 1997 - Madrid summit - Czech Republic - Hungary - Washington summit - February 26 - 1999 - Kosovo conflict - Prague summit - 2002 - Riga Initiative - Central Europe

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An advocate of regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe, Kwa?niewski hosted a summit of the region's leaders at ?a?cut in 1996. Speaking out against the danger organized crime posed to the region, he submitted a draft of a convention on fighting organised crime to the UN in 1996. He was an active participant at meetings of regional leaders in Portoro? in 1997, Levo?a in 1998, and Lviv and Yalta in 1999. After a history of sometimes acrimonious relations with Lithuania, Kwa?niewski was a driving force behind the presidential summit in Vilnius in 1997, at which the two countries' presidents signed a treaty of friendship. Poland subsequently became one of the strongest advocates of Lithuanian membership in NATO and the European Union.

Related Topics:
?a?cut - 1996 - Organized crime - UN - Portoro? - 1997 - Levo?a - 1998 - Lviv - Yalta - 1999 - Lithuania - Vilnius - NATO - European Union

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In 2000 he was re-elected in the first round of voting, collecting 53.9 percent of the vote. His election campaign slogan was: "A home for all—Poland" (Dom wszystkich—Polska). On December 232000 he took office for the second term.

Related Topics:
2000 - December 23

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Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Kwa?niewski organized an international conference in Warsaw, with participation of leaders from Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe to strengthen regional activities in fighting international terrorism. Under Kwa?niewski's leadership, Poland became a strong ally of the United States in the war on terror, and contributed troops in the Iraq War, a move that was highly controversial in Poland. Poland was in charge of a sector of Iraq after the removal of Saddam Hussein.

Related Topics:
September 11, 2001 attacks - Europe - United States - War on terror - Iraq War - Saddam Hussein

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Polish membership of the European Union became a reality on May 12004, during Kwa?niewski's second term. Both he and his wife Jolanta had campaigned for approval of the EU accession treaty in June 2003.

Related Topics:
European Union - May 1 - 2004 - Jolanta - 2003

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