Marek Siwiec
Encyclopedia
Marek Maciej Siwiec is a Polish
politician and since 2004 Member of the European Parliament
for the Greater Poland Voivodship with the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union
, part of the Socialist Group
and sits on the European Parliament
's Committee on Foreign Affairs
. In the European elections
of 2004 he obtained 36 985 votes. He was reelected MEP
in 2009, gaining 64 976 votes.
From January 2007 to June 2009 he served as Vice President of the European Parliament. He also chaired the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine
Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. On 12 January 2010, he criticized the current EU policy toward the country saying in the European Parliament "Ukraine is in political chaos
, which I think suits many people in the EU". He was observer of the elections in Ukraine in 2006 and 2010.
Previously he was notable as Chief of the Polish National Security Bureau
under President Aleksander Kwaśniewski
.
Currently he serves as a coordinator of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
for the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
. He is member of the Board of Yalta European Strategy foundation, President of European Friends of Israel
, member of Global Leadership Council of Colorado State University
.
He was a candidate of the Democratic Left Alliance
for the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs.
See also:
Politics of Poland
The politics of Poland take place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government of a multi-party system and the President is the head of state....
politician and since 2004 Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for the Greater Poland Voivodship with the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union
Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union
Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union is an electoral committee and a coalition of two Polish centre-left political parties: Democratic Left Alliance and Labour Union. At the national level, the alliance arose at the time of the 2001 parliamentary elections and continued through the 2004 elections...
, part of the Socialist Group
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats is the social-democratic political group in the European Parliament, formed by MEPs of the Party of European Socialists and allied centre-left parties. The group dates its ancestry via various names back to the beginning of the European...
and sits on the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
's Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee on Foreign Affairs (EU)
The Committee on Foreign Affairs , previously called Political Affairs, is a committee of the European Parliament...
. In the European elections
Elections in the European Union
Elections to the Parliament of the European Union take place every five years by universal adult suffrage. 736 MEPs are elected to the European Parliament which has been directly elected since 1979. No other body is directly elected although the Council of the European Union and European Council is...
of 2004 he obtained 36 985 votes. He was reelected MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
in 2009, gaining 64 976 votes.
From January 2007 to June 2009 he served as Vice President of the European Parliament. He also chaired the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. On 12 January 2010, he criticized the current EU policy toward the country saying in the European Parliament "Ukraine is in political chaos
Politics of Ukraine
Politics of Ukraine take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the parliament...
, which I think suits many people in the EU". He was observer of the elections in Ukraine in 2006 and 2010.
Previously he was notable as Chief of the Polish National Security Bureau
National Security Bureau (Poland)
National Security Bureau is a Polish government agency executing the tasks given by the President of the Republic of Poland regarding national security. Bureau serves as the organizational support to the National Security Council....
under President 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...
.
Currently he serves as a coordinator of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats is the social-democratic political group in the European Parliament, formed by MEPs of the Party of European Socialists and allied centre-left parties. The group dates its ancestry via various names back to the beginning of the European...
for the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly is the parliamentary component of the proposed Eastern Partnership. It consists of members of the European Parliament and Parliaments of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia...
. He is member of the Board of Yalta European Strategy foundation, President of European Friends of Israel
European Friends of Israel
European Friends of Israel is a European lobby organization for Israel. It was established in September 2006, where 300 MEPs and national MPs took part in an opening ceremony...
, member of Global Leadership Council of Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
.
He was a candidate of the Democratic Left Alliance
Democratic Left Alliance
Democratic Left Alliance is a social-democratic political party in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition party in Poland....
for the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Education
- 1980: Master of PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, University of Mining and MetallurgyAGH University of Science and TechnologyAGH University of Science and Technology is the second largest technical university in Poland, located in Kraków. The university was established in 1919, and was formerly known as the University of Mining and Metallurgy...
in KrakówKrakówKraków 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...
(AGH) - 1989: Post-graduate study in journalism at the Academy of Social Sciences – Centre for Education of the Foreign Service
Career
- 1981–1982: Assistant at the Electronics Institute of AGH (1980–1982), traineeship with the Gas and Fuel Corporation of VictoriaGas and fuel corporation of victoriaThe Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria was a government-owned monopoly supplier of household gas in Victoria, Australia.In 1951, the Victorian government took over two of the three main gas utilities in Melbourne - the Metropolitan Gas Company and the Brighton Gas Company...
, Australia - 1990–1991: Editor-in-chief of the bi-monthly 'Student' (1985–1987), weekly 'ITD' (1987–1990) and the daily 'Trybuna'
- 1991–1997: Member of Parliament of the Polish Republic (Sejm)
- 1993: Spokesman for the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD)Democratic Left AllianceDemocratic Left Alliance is a social-democratic political party in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition party in Poland....
Parliamentary Party - 1993–1996: Member of the National National Broadcasting CouncilKrajowa Rada Radiofonii i TelewizjiKrajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji is the Polish broadcasting regulator, which issues radio and television broadcast licenses, ensures compliance with the law by public broadcasters, and indirectly controls state-owned media...
- 1993–1996: Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeCouncil of EuropeThe Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
- 1996–2004: Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
- 1997–2004: Chief of the National Security Bureau (Poland)National Security Bureau (Poland)National Security Bureau is a Polish government agency executing the tasks given by the President of the Republic of Poland regarding national security. Bureau serves as the organizational support to the National Security Council....
- 1997–2004: Vice-Chairman of the Consultative Committee of the Presidents of Poland and UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
- Secretary of the National Security Council (2000–2004) head of the Polish Association of Friends of the Peres Centre for Peace
- Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Foundation to Counter Terrorism and Biological Threats
- Member of the National Administration of the SLDDemocratic Left AllianceDemocratic Left Alliance is a social-democratic political party in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition party in Poland....
- Head of the national delegation to the Party of European SocialistsParty of European SocialistsThe Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
in the EP - Honours
Decorations
- Order of Gedymin (1997, LT), Cavaliere di Gran Croce (1997, I), Ordem do Merito (1997, P), Ordre de Leopold (1999, B)
- National Order of Merit (2000, F)
- Ubique Patriae Memor (2002, BR)
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (2003, LT)
- Virtutea Militară (2003, RO)
- Royal Victorian Order (2004, GB)
- Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 4th and 3rd Class (1997, 2004, UA)
Controversies
During presidency campaign in 2000 a film was published revealing Marek Siwiec, then the chief of National Security Bureau, allegedly parodying a gesture of then pope John Paul II (making a cross sign in the air on arrival). President Kwaśniewski allegedly encouraged Siwiec to make a parody of pope's another gesture (kissing the soil).See also:
- European Parliament election, 2004 (Poland)European Parliament election, 2004 (Poland)Elections to the European Parliament were held in Poland on 13 June 2004. 20.87% of eligible citizens voted; of these, 97.33% of the votes cast were valid. The elections resulted in a heavy defeat for the governing Alliance of the Democratic Left and Labor Union parties, although the very low...
- European Parliament election, 2009 (Poland)European Parliament election, 2009 (Poland)The European Parliament election of 2009 in Poland was the election of the delegation from Poland to the European Parliament in 2009 which took place on 7 June 2009. On 13 February the Sejm accepted a proposal for an amendment to the electoral court act to allow voting for the European Parliament...