Stanislaw Tyminski
Encyclopedia
Stanisław "Stan" Tymiński (staˈɲiswaf tɨˈmʲiɲskʲi; born January 27, 1948 in Pruszków
) is a Canadian
businessman of Polish
origin, dealing in electronics and computers, and a sometime-politician in both Poland and Canada. Although Tymiński was completely unknown in his native Poland until shortly before the 1990 presidential election
, he emerged from the first ballot as the second strongest candidate, defeating liberal prime minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki
and forcing Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa
to stand a second ballot. After Wałęsa defeated him by a wide margin, Tymiński was a leader of Party X in Poland (1990–1995) and then returned to Canada to resume his business activities. In 2005, he announced he would stand in that year's presidential election
.
, a minor party which never received more than 0.25% of the vote.
At the same time, he started a political career in his native Poland, where democracy had just been reestablished.
In the first free presidential elections
on November 25, 1990, the two most promising candidates were Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa
and prime minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki
. Wałęsa, the electrician, union leader and people's tribune, had the image of an emotional, shirtsleeves populist, while lawyer and former Solidarity legal advisor Mazowiecki appeared as a more respectable and intellectual, but also more formal compromiser.
Tymiński ran as a maverick candidate. He overtook Mazowiecki (18.1%) with 23.1% of the vote and placed second behind Wałęsa with 39.96%. As no candidate had achieved the absolute majority, a second ballot was required and held on December 9, 1990. In the second round, Tymiński lost to Wałęsa with just 25.75% of the total vote. The turnout
in the ballots was 60.6% and 53.4%, respectively.
The reasons for Tymiński's unexpected success remain unclear. Tymiński promised to create wealth for everyone quickly, and had an image as a patriotic Pole who had "made it" abroad. He was well-received at a time when radical political changes were taking place, but the overall economic situation was getting worse. Many people were increasingly disappointed with the trench warfare that had broken out within the former anti-communist opposition, making the unknown but seemingly honest and patriotic candidate appealling.
Another potential factor was that Tymiński applied methods of political marketing which were unknown in Poland at that time. A key element of his campaign was a black briefcase he was rarely seen without - allegedly containing "secret documents" that were going to destroy his rivals' careers and that he would present when the time was due. Although the elections went by without the briefcase ever being opened, its presence secured constant attention.
Tymiński's adversaries took to a similar strategy; the renowned daily Gazeta Wyborcza
, which supported Mazowiecki, reported that Tymiński had had contact with the secret police apparatus himself, a story that was not withdrawn until after the elections.
.
Critics of the populist "peasant leader" Andrzej Lepper
often point to parallels between him and Tymiński.
; an announcement he had previously made in more vague terms on his own homepage.
On 3 June, Tymiński returned to Poland and officially declared his candidacy on behalf of a splinter party named the "All-Polish Citizens Coalition" (Ogólnopolska Koalicja Obywatelska). The party, whose apronym OKO translates as "eye", was founded by Wojciech Kornowski, a businessman who set up a network of eye surgery clinics in Poland. Kornowski, a former chairman of the Polish Employers Association (Konfederacja Pracodawców Polskich), has been trying to enter Polish politics for more than two decades by establishing contacts with completely different political milieus ranging from the communist PZPR in the 1980s to Andrzej Lepper
's Samoobrona party. In 2004 his new outfit OKO received 0.6% of the Polish vote in the European parliament election
. Refusing to make palpable political statements, Tymiński and Kornowski converge in their vague "pro-business" and "anti-establishment" message.
Tymiński's campaign attracted some media attention.
In late July Tymiński was the first presidential candidate to successfully collect all 100,000 signatures making him an official candidate.
During the first round of the 2005 presidential election
, held on October 9, Tymiński received 23,545 votes or 0.2% of all valid votes.
"Maloka" (see :pl:Maloka BBS). However, when the national telephone company TPSA offered internet dial up service, in 1996 Maloka closed down.
Today Tymiński operates his computer business in Canada and writes columns for various Polish-language periodicals in Canada and the United States. He is also a Trade Representative of Belarus in Canada
Pruszków
Pruszków is a town in central Poland, situated in the Masovian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in Warszawa Voivodeship . Pruszków is the capital of Pruszków County, located along the western edge of the Warsaw urban area...
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
businessman of 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...
origin, dealing in electronics and computers, and a sometime-politician in both Poland and Canada. Although Tymiński was completely unknown in his native Poland until shortly before the 1990 presidential election
Polish presidential election, 1990
The 1990 Presidential elections were held in Poland on Sunday, November 25 , and Sunday, December 9 . These were the first direct presidential elections in the history of Poland. Before World War II, presidents were elected by the Sejm, but the Sejm was abolished in 1952. The leader of the...
, he emerged from the first ballot as the second strongest candidate, defeating liberal prime minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki is a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.-Biography:Mazowiecki comes from a Polish...
and forcing Solidarity leader 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...
to stand a second ballot. After Wałęsa defeated him by a wide margin, Tymiński was a leader of Party X in Poland (1990–1995) and then returned to Canada to resume his business activities. In 2005, he announced he would stand in that year's presidential election
Polish presidential election, 2005
-External links:**] ]**...
.
1990 campaign
In 1990/1991, Tymiński led the Libertarian Party of CanadaLibertarian Party of Canada
The Libertarian Party of Canada is a political party in Canada that subscribes to the tenets of the libertarian movement across Canada.-History:...
, a minor party which never received more than 0.25% of the vote.
At the same time, he started a political career in his native Poland, where democracy had just been reestablished.
In the first free presidential elections
Polish presidential election, 1990
The 1990 Presidential elections were held in Poland on Sunday, November 25 , and Sunday, December 9 . These were the first direct presidential elections in the history of Poland. Before World War II, presidents were elected by the Sejm, but the Sejm was abolished in 1952. The leader of the...
on November 25, 1990, the two most promising candidates were Solidarity leader 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...
and prime minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki is a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.-Biography:Mazowiecki comes from a Polish...
. Wałęsa, the electrician, union leader and people's tribune, had the image of an emotional, shirtsleeves populist, while lawyer and former Solidarity legal advisor Mazowiecki appeared as a more respectable and intellectual, but also more formal compromiser.
Tymiński ran as a maverick candidate. He overtook Mazowiecki (18.1%) with 23.1% of the vote and placed second behind Wałęsa with 39.96%. As no candidate had achieved the absolute majority, a second ballot was required and held on December 9, 1990. In the second round, Tymiński lost to Wałęsa with just 25.75% of the total vote. The turnout
Turnout
Turnout may refer to:* Turnout , a rotation of the leg which comes from the hips, causing the knee and foot to turn outward, away from the center of the body* Turnout , a British film...
in the ballots was 60.6% and 53.4%, respectively.
The reasons for Tymiński's unexpected success remain unclear. Tymiński promised to create wealth for everyone quickly, and had an image as a patriotic Pole who had "made it" abroad. He was well-received at a time when radical political changes were taking place, but the overall economic situation was getting worse. Many people were increasingly disappointed with the trench warfare that had broken out within the former anti-communist opposition, making the unknown but seemingly honest and patriotic candidate appealling.
Another potential factor was that Tymiński applied methods of political marketing which were unknown in Poland at that time. A key element of his campaign was a black briefcase he was rarely seen without - allegedly containing "secret documents" that were going to destroy his rivals' careers and that he would present when the time was due. Although the elections went by without the briefcase ever being opened, its presence secured constant attention.
Tymiński's adversaries took to a similar strategy; the renowned daily Gazeta Wyborcza
Gazeta Wyborcza
Gazeta Wyborcza is a leading Polish newspaper. It covers the gamut of political, international and general news. Like all the Polish newspapers, it is printed on compact-sized paper, and is published by the multimedia corporation Agora SA...
, which supported Mazowiecki, reported that Tymiński had had contact with the secret police apparatus himself, a story that was not withdrawn until after the elections.
Partia X
Tymiński, who had run as a nonpartisan candidate, founded a party of his own, which he called Partia X, with a nationalist political profile. However, Tymiński's charisma did not translate into any long-term success for the party; in the 1991 general elections, his "X-Party" achieved just three seats in the SejmSejm
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 ....
.
Critics of the populist "peasant leader" Andrzej Lepper
Andrzej Lepper
Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper was a Polish politician who was the leader of Samoobrona RP political party....
often point to parallels between him and Tymiński.
2005 campaign
On March 24, 2005, in an interview for a South American Polish organization, Tymiński announced his readiness to run in the upcoming presidential electionPolish presidential election, 2005
-External links:**] ]**...
; an announcement he had previously made in more vague terms on his own homepage.
On 3 June, Tymiński returned to Poland and officially declared his candidacy on behalf of a splinter party named the "All-Polish Citizens Coalition" (Ogólnopolska Koalicja Obywatelska). The party, whose apronym OKO translates as "eye", was founded by Wojciech Kornowski, a businessman who set up a network of eye surgery clinics in Poland. Kornowski, a former chairman of the Polish Employers Association (Konfederacja Pracodawców Polskich), has been trying to enter Polish politics for more than two decades by establishing contacts with completely different political milieus ranging from the communist PZPR in the 1980s to Andrzej Lepper
Andrzej Lepper
Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper was a Polish politician who was the leader of Samoobrona RP political party....
's Samoobrona party. In 2004 his new outfit OKO received 0.6% of the Polish vote in the European parliament election
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...
. Refusing to make palpable political statements, Tymiński and Kornowski converge in their vague "pro-business" and "anti-establishment" message.
Tymiński's campaign attracted some media attention.
In late July Tymiński was the first presidential candidate to successfully collect all 100,000 signatures making him an official candidate.
During the first round of the 2005 presidential election
Polish presidential election, 2005
-External links:**] ]**...
, held on October 9, Tymiński received 23,545 votes or 0.2% of all valid votes.
Business interests
Tymiński was involved in developing the internet industry in Poland: in 1994, he was the first to offer internet access "for everyone", included in Poland's first commercial Bulletin board systemBulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
"Maloka" (see :pl:Maloka BBS). However, when the national telephone company TPSA offered internet dial up service, in 1996 Maloka closed down.
Today Tymiński operates his computer business in Canada and writes columns for various Polish-language periodicals in Canada and the United States. He is also a Trade Representative of Belarus in Canada