Hanna Suchocka
Encyclopedia
Hanna Suchocka AUD is a Polish
political figure. She served as the prime minister of Poland between 11 July 1992 and 26 October 1993 under the presidency of Lech Wałęsa
. She is the first (and, so far, the only) woman to hold this post in Poland and 19th in the world.
Suchocka is a specialist in Constitutional Law
. She was a member of the Sejm
of People's Republic of Poland
in the 1980s, and became Prime Minister in 1992. She served as an anomaly in the representation of women, however, as she obtained her position partly due to her leaning to both sides of the political spectrum.
After the downfall of the Jan Olszewski
cabinet on June 1992, following the exposure of a list of secret communist collaborators of Służba Bezpieczeństwa by Minister of Internal Affairs Antoni Macierewicz
, her cabinet was allegedly linked to illegal persecution and disintegration of Polish conservative and independent rightist parties (so called Instruction UOP nr 0015/92
).
Her left-wing leanings, accompanied by her strong anti-abortion position, made her the perfect candidate to satisfy the interests of a majority coalition in Parliament consisting of three parties including her own Democratic Union, the Christian National Union, and the Liberal Democratic Congress.
Member of the Club of Madrid
.
Hanna Suchocka is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
, an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
She has been serving as Poland's Ambassador to the Holy See
since December 2001 (so far under five different Governments) and is also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
in the Vatican
(appointed by Pope John Paul II
on 19 January 1994).
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
political figure. She served as the prime minister of Poland between 11 July 1992 and 26 October 1993 under the presidency of Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
. She is the first (and, so far, the only) woman to hold this post in Poland and 19th in the world.
Suchocka is a specialist in Constitutional Law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
. She was a member of the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
of People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
in the 1980s, and became Prime Minister in 1992. She served as an anomaly in the representation of women, however, as she obtained her position partly due to her leaning to both sides of the political spectrum.
After the downfall of the Jan Olszewski
Jan Olszewski
Jan Ferdynand Olszewski is a Polish lawyer and political figure. He is best known for serving as Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland from 1991 to 1992....
cabinet on June 1992, following the exposure of a list of secret communist collaborators of Służba Bezpieczeństwa by Minister of Internal Affairs Antoni Macierewicz
Antoni Macierewicz
Antoni Macierewicz is a Polish Catholic politician, anti-communist activist, member of Sejm, journalist and a former internal affairs minister, former vice-minister of national defence in Jarosław Kaczyński's government, and current parliamentary representative.-Early years and activity during...
, her cabinet was allegedly linked to illegal persecution and disintegration of Polish conservative and independent rightist parties (so called Instruction UOP nr 0015/92
Instruction UOP nr 0015/92
UOP Instruction nr 0015/92 was an internal instruction of Urząd Ochrony Państwa issued on October 1992, which allowed illegal surveillance and the alleged formenting of the dissolution of Polish political parties who were in opposition to cabinet of Hanna Suchocka and the then president Lech...
).
Her left-wing leanings, accompanied by her strong anti-abortion position, made her the perfect candidate to satisfy the interests of a majority coalition in Parliament consisting of three parties including her own Democratic Union, the Christian National Union, and the Liberal Democratic Congress.
Member of the Club of Madrid
Club of Madrid
The Club de Madrid is an independent non-profit organization created to promote democracy and change in the international community. Composed of 80 former Presidents and Prime Ministers from 56 countries, the Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of former Heads of State and Government.Among...
.
Hanna Suchocka is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
Council of Women World Leaders
The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of current and former women prime ministers and presidents established in 1996 by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland and first woman in the world to be democratically elected president, and Laura Liswood, Secretary General...
, an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
She has been serving as Poland's Ambassador to the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
since December 2001 (so far under five different Governments) and is also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences was established in January 1994 by Pope John Paul II. It is headquartered in the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican. Professor Edmond Malinvaud was its first president...
in the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
(appointed by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on 19 January 1994).