Ryszard Grobelny
Encyclopedia
Ryszard Grobelny — mayor
of Poznań since 1998.
After his graduation from Adam Mickiewicz High School in Poznań
and from Poznań University of Economics
, Grobelny worked at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. In 1991 he joined Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny and later Unia Wolności. At the rebirth of local governments in Poland
, Grobelny became a member of Poznań City Council. Since 1992, he held a function in municipal government, which elected him to the mayor's office in December 1998. In 2002, in the first direct election
for mayor, he was an independent candidate with the support of Platforma Obywatelska. He won in the second round against the fully independent ex-mayor Wojciech Szczęsny Kaczmarek. In February 2003, Ryszard Grobelny was also elected as chairman of Związek Miast Polskich. In the 2006 election he got most of the votes in the first round on 12 November. In the second round, he won against the candidate of Platforma Obywatelska, Maria Pasło-Wiśniewska, with 58.83% of the vote.
Ryszard Grobelny is criticised for his close ties to Jan Kulczyk
. In December 2002, he sold a 1.5 ha
lot in the center of Poznań to a company of Grażyna Kulczyk, the wife of Jan Kulczyk. Officials in the mayor's office adjusted plans for this area making it possible to build a part of the Stary Browar shopping mall on that lot. Supreme Chamber of Control of the Republic of Poland after an inspection found out that Poznań lost about 9 million PLN on that sale. The court in Poznań started an examination of the sale (a so-called Kulczykpark case) on 29 November 2006.
Ewa Siwicka, the wife of Grobelny, is a presenter at TVP
in Poznań
.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Poznań since 1998.
After his graduation from Adam Mickiewicz High School in Poznań
Adam Mickiewicz High School in Poznan
Adam Mickiewicz High School in Poznań is a high school in Poznań, Poland founded by the priest and patriot Czesław Piotrowski in 1924 and named after the poet and patriot Adam Mickiewicz....
and from Poznań University of Economics
Poznan University of Economics
The Poznań University of Economics is one of the most prestigious business schools in Poland.The Poznań University of Economics is a major academic institution in the western part of the country attracting students from many parts of Poland. It is the biggest and oldest business university in the...
, Grobelny worked at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. In 1991 he joined Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny and later Unia Wolności. At the rebirth of local governments in Poland
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...
, Grobelny became a member of Poznań City Council. Since 1992, he held a function in municipal government, which elected him to the mayor's office in December 1998. In 2002, in the first direct election
Direct election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
for mayor, he was an independent candidate with the support of Platforma Obywatelska. He won in the second round against the fully independent ex-mayor Wojciech Szczęsny Kaczmarek. In February 2003, Ryszard Grobelny was also elected as chairman of Związek Miast Polskich. In the 2006 election he got most of the votes in the first round on 12 November. In the second round, he won against the candidate of Platforma Obywatelska, Maria Pasło-Wiśniewska, with 58.83% of the vote.
Ryszard Grobelny is criticised for his close ties to Jan Kulczyk
Jan Kulczyk
Jan Kulczyk, born June 24, 1950, in Bydgoszcz, is a prominent Polish business oligarch. He is the owner of Kulczyk Holding with headquarters in Warsaw, and an international investment house Kulczyk Investments with headquarters in Luxembourg and offices in London, Kiev and Dubai...
. In December 2002, he sold a 1.5 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
lot in the center of Poznań to a company of Grażyna Kulczyk, the wife of Jan Kulczyk. Officials in the mayor's office adjusted plans for this area making it possible to build a part of the Stary Browar shopping mall on that lot. Supreme Chamber of Control of the Republic of Poland after an inspection found out that Poznań lost about 9 million PLN on that sale. The court in Poznań started an examination of the sale (a so-called Kulczykpark case) on 29 November 2006.
Ewa Siwicka, the wife of Grobelny, is a presenter at TVP
Telewizja Polska
Telewizja Polska Spółka Akcyjna is Poland's public broadcasting corporation...
in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
.