Jan Rokita
Encyclopedia
Jan Rokita (ˈjan rɔˈkʲita, born 18 June 1959 in Kraków
) is a Polish
conservative politician, a member of the Sejm
, the lower chamber of the Polish parliament. He was chairman of the parliamentary club of Platforma Obywatelska (Civic Platform) from 2003 to 2005.
Rokita graduated from the Jagiellonian University
in Kraków with a degree in law. He joined the dissident organisation Wolność i Pokój (WiP, "Freedom and Peace"). He also took part in the student group NZS and was active as a member of the academic branch of Solidarity. For his activity in the opposition, he was banned from becoming an apprentice attorney, despite his excellent examination record.
In 1989 he was elected an MP as a Solidarity candidate. He was appointed the president of a special parliamentary commission for the investigation of the Security Service (Służba Bezpieczeństwa). In 1991 he joined Democratic Union (Unia Demokratyczna)
party. He was a member of the party's right wing.
In Hanna Suchocka
's government he was the chief of the Council of Ministers office. In 1995 he was the co-founder of the "3/4 initiative" – a movement created in order to prevent Aleksander Kwaśniewski
from winning the presidential elections and refused to support his party's candidate Jacek Kuroń
.
In 1997 he left Freedom Union (Unia Wolności)
(successor of the UD) and joined another political party – Conservative-People's Party (Stronnictwo Konserwatywno-Ludowe). He was elected to the Sejm for the fourth time from AWS
coalition list, becoming chairman of the parliamentary Interior Affairs Committee. In 2000 he was elected leader of the SKL.
When the Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) was formed in January 2000, Rokita was reluctant to ally SKL with it, but a steady trickle of members to the new center right party forced him to.
In 2001 Rokita was elected to the Sejm for the fifth time, as a PO candidate. In 2002 he ran for office to be Mayor of Kraków, but without success.
In 2003 he was elected to Sejm's special investigative committee for the Lew Rywin affair. His participation in the committee has given him a tough inquisitor image and made him very popular, effectively resurrecting him as an active politician. In consequence, PO's opinion polls ratings sky-rocketed.
When the negotiations for the future European constitution started in the end of 2003, he coined the slogan: "Nicea o muerte – Nicea albo śmierć" ((Treaty of) Nice
or death), which was more or less the official position of the Polish delegation. He later softened his position on the constitution.
He is married to his second wife Nelly Rokita
, an ethnic German
from Chelyabinsk
, Russia. Nelly has a daughter from her first marriage.
In July 2007 he was sentenced to pay a fine for calling Grzegorz Wieczerzak "a very famous criminal".
On 14 September 2007 Rokita announced he would not be seeking re-election in the 2007 Polish elections. Officially, he claimed it was because of his wife Nelly's decision to enter Polish politics as an advisor to President Lech Kaczyński
(affiliated with the right-wing Law and Justice Party). However, it was well documented that in the run up to the elections he and his supporters within the Citizen's Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) had become increasingly marginalised, and he claimed he could not communicate with section of Platforma Obywatelska in Kraków. Despite this, he did not leave Platforma and went on record that he would cast his vote for the party.
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
) is a Polish
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...
conservative politician, 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 ....
, the lower chamber of the Polish parliament. He was chairman of the parliamentary club of Platforma Obywatelska (Civic Platform) from 2003 to 2005.
Rokita graduated from the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków with a degree in law. He joined the dissident organisation Wolność i Pokój (WiP, "Freedom and Peace"). He also took part in the student group NZS and was active as a member of the academic branch of Solidarity. For his activity in the opposition, he was banned from becoming an apprentice attorney, despite his excellent examination record.
In 1989 he was elected an MP as a Solidarity candidate. He was appointed the president of a special parliamentary commission for the investigation of the Security Service (Służba Bezpieczeństwa). In 1991 he joined Democratic Union (Unia Demokratyczna)
Democratic Union (Poland)
The Democratic Union was a Liberal Christian-democratic party in Poland. The party was founded in 1990 by Prime Minister, Christian democrat Tadeusz Mazowiecki as a merger of the Citizens' Movement for Democratic Action and the Forum of Right Democrats .The party had a market-socialist...
party. He was a member of the party's right wing.
In Hanna Suchocka
Hanna Suchocka
Hanna Suchocka 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 woman to hold this post in Poland and 19th in the world.Suchocka is a specialist in Constitutional Law...
's government he was the chief of the Council of Ministers office. In 1995 he was the co-founder of the "3/4 initiative" – a movement created in order to prevent Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Aleksander Kwasniewski
Aleksander Kwaśniewski is a Polish politician who served as the President of Poland from 1995 to 2005. He was born in Białogard, and during communist rule he was active in the Socialist Union of Polish Students and was the Minister for Sport in the communist government in the 1980s...
from winning the presidential elections and refused to support his party's candidate Jacek Kuroń
Jacek Kuron
Jacek Jan Kuroń was one of the democratic leaders of opposition in the People's Republic of Poland. Kuroń was a prominent Polish social and political figure; educator and historian; an activist of the Polish Scouting Association; co-founder of the Workers' Defence Committee; twice a Minister of...
.
In 1997 he left Freedom Union (Unia Wolności)
Freedom Union (Poland)
The Freedom Union was a liberal democratic party in Poland. It was founded on March 20, 1994 out of the merger of the Democratic Union and the Liberal Democratic Congress . Both of these parties had roots in the Solidarity trade union movement. It represented European democratic and liberal...
(successor of the UD) and joined another political party – Conservative-People's Party (Stronnictwo Konserwatywno-Ludowe). He was elected to the Sejm for the fourth time from AWS
Solidarity Electoral Action
Solidarity Electoral Action was a political party coalition in Poland. Since 1997 its official name has been Akcja Wyborcza Solidarność Prawicy or Solidarity Electoral Action of the Right...
coalition list, becoming chairman of the parliamentary Interior Affairs Committee. In 2000 he was elected leader of the SKL.
When the Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) was formed in January 2000, Rokita was reluctant to ally SKL with it, but a steady trickle of members to the new center right party forced him to.
In 2001 Rokita was elected to the Sejm for the fifth time, as a PO candidate. In 2002 he ran for office to be Mayor of Kraków, but without success.
In 2003 he was elected to Sejm's special investigative committee for the Lew Rywin affair. His participation in the committee has given him a tough inquisitor image and made him very popular, effectively resurrecting him as an active politician. In consequence, PO's opinion polls ratings sky-rocketed.
When the negotiations for the future European constitution started in the end of 2003, he coined the slogan: "Nicea o muerte – Nicea albo śmierć" ((Treaty of) Nice
Treaty of Nice
The Treaty of Nice was signed by European leaders on 26 February 2001 and came into force on 1 February 2003. It amended the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of Rome...
or death), which was more or less the official position of the Polish delegation. He later softened his position on the constitution.
He is married to his second wife Nelly Rokita
Nelly Rokita
Nelli Rokita is a Polish politician who was elected an MP as a Law and Justice candidate. Her husband Jan Rokita was a prominent activist of a Civic Platform who retreated in September 2007 when Rokita started her political career...
, an ethnic German
Ethnic German
Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
from Chelyabinsk
Chelyabinsk
Chelyabinsk is a city and the administrative center of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located in the northwestern side of the oblast, south of Yekaterinburg, just to the east of the Ural Mountains, on the Miass River. Population: -History:...
, Russia. Nelly has a daughter from her first marriage.
In July 2007 he was sentenced to pay a fine for calling Grzegorz Wieczerzak "a very famous criminal".
On 14 September 2007 Rokita announced he would not be seeking re-election in the 2007 Polish elections. Officially, he claimed it was because of his wife Nelly's decision to enter Polish politics as an advisor to President Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
(affiliated with the right-wing Law and Justice Party). However, it was well documented that in the run up to the elections he and his supporters within the Citizen's Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) had become increasingly marginalised, and he claimed he could not communicate with section of Platforma Obywatelska in Kraków. Despite this, he did not leave Platforma and went on record that he would cast his vote for the party.