Leaders of Poland
(Republic of Poland)
[To the list of countries]
[To the ZPC Homepage]

Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB's website. See also the CIDOB page detailing the Polish Governments since 1989.

Late parties and coalitions: AWS: Solidarity Electoral Action (coalition, 1996-2001) - AWSP: Solidarity Electoral Action of the Right (coalition, 2001) - BBWR: Non-Party Bloc for Support of the Reforms - KLD: Liberal Democratic Congress (parliamentary caucus, +1994 > KLD) - OKP: Citizens' Parliamentary Caucus - PC: Centre Agreement (1990-1999 > PPChD) - PChD: Christian Democratic Party (†1999 > PPChD) - PD: Democratic Party (2005-2016 > UED) - PPChD: Alliance of Polish Christian Democrats (1999-2002 > SKL-RNP) - PPN: Polish Independence Party (1985-1993 > RdR) - PPR: Polish Workers' Party (communist, 1943-1948 > PZPR) - PPS: Polish Socialist Party (†1948 > PZPR) - PRZP: Poland Together United Right (2013-2017 > Porozumienie) - PZPR: Polish United Workers' Party (communist, 1948-1990) - RdR: Movement for the Republic (†1999 > PPChD) - ROP: Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland (1995-2012) - RP: Palikot's Movement (2011-2013 > TR) - RS: Social Movement (2002-2004) - RS AWS: Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action (1997-2002 > RS) - SD: Democratic Party - SdRP: Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (1990-1999 > SLD) - SKL: Conservative People's Party (1997-2002 > SKL-RNP / 2007-2014 > PRJG) - SKL-RNP: Conservative People's Party-Movement of a New Poland (2002-2003 > SKL) - SLD: Democratic Left Alliance (1999-2020 > NL) - UD: Democratic Union (1991-1994 > UW) - UW: Freedom Union (1994-2005 > PD) - ZChN: Christian National Union (1989-2010) - ZSL: United Peasants'/People's Party (†1989 > PSL)

Current parties and coalitions: LPR: League of Polish Families (2001) - NL: New Left (2020) - .Nowoczesna: Modern (2015) - PiS: Law and Justice (2001) - PO: Civic Platform (2001) - Porozumienie: Alliance (2017) - PSL: Polish Peasants'/People's Party (1990) - Samoobrona: Self Defence of the Polish Republic (1992) - SdPl: Social Democracy of Poland (2004) - TR: Your Movement (2013) - UED: Union of European Democrats (2016) - UP: Union of Labour (1992) -


Heads of State
President of the National Homeland Council                                                                                 
Boleslaw Bierut            1 Jan 1944 -  4 Feb 1947 (†1956) PPR (1)  

President of the Republic
Boleslaw Bierut            5 Feb 1947 - 20 Nov 1952 (†1956) PPR, PZPR 

Presidents of the Council of State
Aleksander Zawadzki       20 Nov 1952 -  7 Aug 1964 (†1964) PZPR/military     
Edward Ochab               7 Aug 1964 - 11 Apr 1968 (†1989) PZPR (2) 
Marian Spychalski         11 Apr 1968 - 23 Dec 1970 (†1980) PZPR/military     
Jσzef A. Z. Cyrankiewicz  23 Dec 1970 - 28 Mar 1972 (†1989) PZPR     
Henryk Jablonski          28 Mar 1972 -  6 Nov 1985 (†2003) PZPR     
Wojciech Jaruzelski        6 Nov 1985 - 19 Jul 1989 (†2014) PZPR/military     

Presidents of the Republic
Wojciech Jaruzelski       19 Jul 1989 - 22 Dec 1990 (†2014) n/p   
Lech Walesa               22 Dec 1990 - 23 Dec 1995         Solidarnosc, BBWR 
Aleksander Kwasniewski    23 Dec 1995 - 23 Dec 2005         SdRP/SLD, n/p
Lech Kaczynski            23 Dec 2005 - 10 Apr 2010 (†2010) PiS, n/p
Bronislaw Komorowski      10 Apr 2010 -  8 Jul 2010         PO (acting)
Bogdan Borusewicz          8 Jul 2010 -  8 Jul 2010         n/p (acting)
Grzegorz Schetyna          8 Jul 2010 -  6 Aug 2010         PO (acting)
Bronislaw Komorowski       6 Aug 2010 -  6 Aug 2015         PO, n/p
Andrzej Duda               6 Aug 2015 -                     PiS, n/p

(1) Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz served as president in exile from 1939 to his death in 1947.
(2) To 12 Aug 1964 Ochab ruled together with the other three deputy chairmen of the Council of State: Stanislaw Kulczynski, Oskar Ryszard Lange and Boleslaw Podedworny.


Prime Ministers
Edward Osσbka-Morawski     1 Jan 1945 -  4 Feb 1947 (†1997) PPS            
Jσzef A. Z. Cyrankiewicz   7 Feb 1947 - 20 Nov 1952 (†1989) PPR, PZPR       
Boleslaw Bierut           20 Nov 1952 - 19 Mar 1954 (†1956) PZPR           
Jσzef A. Z. Cyrankiewicz  19 Mar 1954 - 23 Dec 1970 (†1989) PZPR           
Piotr Jaroszewicz         23 Dec 1970 - 18 Feb 1980 (†1992) PZPR           
Edward Babiuch            18 Feb 1980 - 24 Aug 1980 (†2021) PZPR           
Jσzef Pinkowski           24 Aug 1980 -  9 Feb 1981 (†2000) PZPR           
Wojciech Jaruzelski        9 Feb 1981 -  6 Nov 1985 (†2014) PZPR/military (3)       
Zbigniew Messner           6 Nov 1985 - 27 Sep 1988 (†2014) PZPR           
Mieczyslaw F. Rakowski    27 Sep 1988 -  2 Aug 1989 (†2008) PZPR           
Czeslaw Kiszczak           2 Aug 1989 - 24 Aug 1989 (†2015) PZPR           
Tadeusz Mazowiecki        24 Aug 1989 -  4 Jan 1991 (†2013) Solidarnosc 
Jan Krzysztof Bielecki     4 Jan 1991 -  6 Dec 1991         KLD
Jan Olszewski              6 Dec 1991 -  5 Jun 1992 (†2019) PC
Waldemar Pawlak            5 Jun 1992 -  8 Jul 1992         PSL
Hanna Suchocka             8 Jul 1992 - 26 Oct 1993         UD
Waldemar Pawlak           26 Oct 1993 -  6 Mar 1995         PSL
Jσzef Oleksy               6 Mar 1995 -  7 Feb 1996 (†2015) SdRP/SLD       
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz    7 Feb 1996 - 17 Oct 1997         SdRP/SLD      
Marek Belka               17 Oct 1997 - 31 Oct 1997         SdRP/SLD (acting)
Jerzy Karol Buzek         31 Oct 1997 - 19 Oct 2001         RS AWS/AWS	   
Leszek Miller             19 Oct 2001 -  2 May 2004         SLD
Marek Belka                2 May 2004 - 31 Oct 2005         SLD, n/p
Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz   31 Oct 2005 - 14 Jul 2006         PiS
Jaroslaw Kaczynski        14 Jul 2006 - 16 Nov 2007         PiS
Donald Tusk               16 Nov 2007 - 22 Sep 2014         PO
Ewa Kopacz                22 Sep 2014 - 16 Nov 2015         PO
Beata Szydlo              16 Nov 2015 - 11 Dec 2017         PiS
Mateusz Morawiecki        11 Dec 2017 - 13 Dec 2023         PiS
Donald Tusk               13 Dec 2023 -                     PO 

(3) A Military Council for National Salvation (WRON, military junta) chaired by Gen. Jaruzelski ruled from 12 Dec 1981 to 22 Jul 1983 while the martial law (declared 13 Dec 1981) was into force. Its members were: Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, Maj. Gen. Jσzef Baryla, Col. Kazimierz Garbacik, Col. Miroslaw Hermaszewski, Maj. Gen. Tadeusz Hupalowski, Adm. Ludwik Janczyszyn, Brig. Gen. Michal Janiszewski, Brig. Gen. Jerzy Jarosz, Lieut. Gen. Czeslaw Kiszczak, Maj. Gen. Tadeusz Krepski, Col. Roman Les, Maj. Gen. Longin Lozowicki, Col. Tadeusz Makarewicz, Lieut. Gen. Eugeniusz Molczyk, Maj. Gen. Wlodzimierz Oliwa, Maj. Gen. Czeslaw Piotrowski, Maj. Gen. Henryk Rapacewicz, Maj. Gen. Florian Siwicki, Lieut. Gen. Tadeusz Tuczapski, Maj. Gen. Jσzef Uzycki and Lieut. Col. Jerzy Wlosinski.


First Secretaries of PPR/PZPR
Wladyslaw Gomulka          Nov 1943 -  3 Sep 1948 (†1982) 
Boleslaw Bierut         22 Dec 1948 -    Nov 1952 (†1956) 
Hilary Minc                Nov 1952 -    Mar 1954 (†1974) (4)
Boleslaw Bierut            Mar 1954 - 12 Mar 1956 (†1956)     
Edward Ochab            20 Mar 1956 - 21 Oct 1956 (†1989) 
Wladyslaw Gomulka       21 Oct 1956 - 20 Dec 1970 (†1982) 
Edward Gierek           20 Dec 1970 -  6 Sep 1980 (†2001) 
Stanislaw Kania          6 Sep 1980 - 18 Oct 1981 (†2020)        
Wojciech Jaruzelski     18 Oct 1981 - 29 Jul 1989 (†2014) military
Mieczyslaw F. Rakowski  29 Jul 1989 - 30 Jan 1990 (†2008)        

(4) Ochab was de facto party leader as chairman of the Central Committee from Dec 1948 to Mar 1954.

The old PPR became the PZPR on 20 Dec 1948 (1st congress, 15-22 Dec 1948) through the merger with the PPS. The PZPR ceased to exist on 30 Jan 1990 at the end of its 11th and last congress.


Deputy Prime Ministers
Czeslaw Kiszczak          12 Sep 1989 -  6 Jul 1990 (†2015) PZPR 
Czeslaw Janicki           12 Sep 1989 -  6 Jul 1990 (†2012) PZPR
Leszek Balcerowicz        12 Sep 1989 -  5 Dec 1991         n/p, UD  
Jan Janowski              12 Sep 1989 - 12 Jan 1991 (†1998) SD
Henryk Goryszewski        10 Jul 1992 - 18 Oct 1993         ZChN
Pawel Laczkowski          10 Jul 1992 - 18 Oct 1993         PChD
Marek Borowski            26 Oct 1993 -  4 Feb 1995         SdRP 
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz   26 Oct 1993 -  4 Mar 1995         SdRP
Aleksander Luczak         26 Oct 1993 -  4 Mar 1995 (†2023) PSL   
Roman Jagielinski          4 Mar 1995 - 10 Apr 1997         PSL     
Miroslaw Pietrewicz        4 Mar 1995 - 17 Oct 1997 (†2022) PSL 
Grzegorz Kolodko          24 Apr 1995 -  4 Feb 1997         n/p  
Marek Belka                4 Feb 1997 - 17 Oct 1997         SdRP/SLD
Jaroslaw Kalinowski       25 Apr 1997 - 17 Oct 1997         PSL
Janusz Tomaszewski        31 Oct 1997 -  3 Sep 1999         n/p, AWS
Leszek Balcerowicz        31 Oct 1997 -  8 Jun 2000         UW    
Longin Komolowski         19 Oct 1999 - 19 Oct 2001 (†2016) n/p, AWS    
Janusz Steinhoff          12 Jun 2000 - 19 Oct 2001         PPChD 
Marek Belka               19 Oct 2001 -  6 Jul 2002         SLD 
Jaroslaw Kalinowski       19 Oct 2001 -  3 Mar 2003         PSL          
Marek Ludwik Pol          19 Oct 2001 -  2 May 2004         UP  
Grzegorz Kolodko           6 Jul 2002 - 16 Jun 2003         n/p                  
Jerzy Hausner             16 Jun 2003 - 31 Mar 2005         SLD   
Jσzef Oleksy              21 Jan 2004 - 21 Apr 2004 (†2015) SLD 
Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka     2 May 2004 - 31 Oct 2005 (†2010) UP  
Ludwik Dorn               21 Nov 2005 - 27 Apr 2007 (†2022) PiS 
Zyta Gilowska              7 Jan 2006 - 24 Jun 2006 (†2016) n/p
Andrzej Lepper             5 May 2006 - 22 Sep 2006 (†2011) Samoobrona
Roman Giertych             5 May 2006 - 13 Aug 2007         LPR
Zyta Gilowska             22 Sep 2006 - 16 Nov 2007 (†2016) n/p
Andrzej Lepper            16 Oct 2006 -  9 Jul 2007 (†2011) Samoobrona
Przemyslaw Gosiewski       8 May 2007 - 16 Nov 2007 (†2010) PiS
Grzegorz Schetyna         16 Nov 2007 - 14 Oct 2009         PO
Waldemar Pawlak           16 Nov 2007 - 27 Nov 2012         PSL
Janusz Piechocinski        6 Dec 2012 - 13 Nov 2015         PSL
Jacek Rostowski           25 Feb 2013 – 27 Nov 2013         PO
Elzbieta Bienkowska       27 Nov 2013 – 22 Sep 2014         PO
Tomasz Siemoniak          22 Sep 2014 - 16 Nov 2015         PO
Mateusz Morawiecki        16 Nov 2015 - 11 Dec 2017         n/p, PiS
Jaroslaw Gowin            16 Nov 2015 -  9 Apr 2020         Porozumienie
Piotr Glinski             16 Nov 2015 - 20 Jun 2023         PiS
Beata Szydlo              11 Dec 2017 -  4 Jun 2019         PiS
Jacek Sasin                4 Jun 2019 - 20 Jun 2023         PiS
Jadwiga Emilewicz          9 Apr 2020 -  6 Oct 2020         Porozumienie
Jaroslaw Gowin             6 Oct 2020 - 11 Aug 2021         Porozumienie
Jaroslaw Kaczynski         6 Oct 2020 - 21 Jun 2022         PiS
Henryk Kowalczyk          26 Oct 2021 - 20 Jun 2023         PiS
Mariusz Blaszczak         21 Jun 2022 - 20 Jun 2023         PiS
Jaroslaw Kaczynski        21 Jun 2023 - 27 Nov 2023         PiS
Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz 13 Dec 2023 -                     PSL
Krzysztof Gawkowski       13 Dec 2023 -                     NL

Marshals of the Sejm
Wladyslaw Kowalski        1947-1952 (†1958) ZSL      
Jan Dembowski             1952-1956 (†1963) n/p
Czeslaw Wycech            1957-1971 (†1977) ZSL
Dyzma Galaj               1971-1972 (†2000) ZSL
Stanislaw Gucwa           1972-1985 (†1994) ZSL
Roman Malinowski          1985-1989 (†2021) ZSL
Mikolaj Kozakiewicz       1989-1991 (†1998) PSL
Wieslaw Chrzanowski       1991-1993 (†2012) ZChN
Jσzef Oleksy              1993-1995 (†2015) SdRP/SLD  
Jσzef Zych                1995-1997         PSL
Maciej Plazynski          1997-2001 (†2010) AWS, PO 
Marek Borowski            2001-2004         SLD, SdPl
Jσzef Oleksy              2004-2005 (†2015) SLD  
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz   2005              SLD
Marek Jurek               2005-2007         PiS
Ludwik Dorn               2007      (†2022) PiS
Bronislaw Komorowski      2007-2010         PO
Grzegorz Schetyna         2010-2011         PO
Ewa Kopacz                2011-2014         PO
Radoslaw Sikorski         2014-2015         PO
Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska 2015              PO
Marek Kuchcinski          2015-2019         PiS
Elzbieta Witek            2019-2023         PiS
Szymon Holownia           2023-             Poland 2050

Marshals of the Senate
Andrzej Stelmachowski     1989-1991 (†2009) OKP     
August Chelkowski         1991-1993 (†1999) Solidarnosc
Adam Struzik              1993-1997         PSL      
Alicja Grzeskowiak        1997-2001         AWS
Longin Hieromim Pastusiak 2001-2005         SLD
Bogdan Borusewicz         2005-2015         n/p
Stanislaw Karczewski      2015-2019         PiS
Tomasz Grodzki            2019-2023         PO
Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska 2023-             PO

Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Edward Osσbka-Morawski    1944-1945 (†1997) PPS
Wincenty Rzymowski        1945-1947 (†1950) SD
Zygmunt Modzelewski       1947-1951 (†1954) PPR, PZPR 
Stanislaw Skrzeszewski    1951-1956 (†1978) PZPR
Adam Rapacki              1956-1968 (†1970) PZPR
Stefan Jedrychowski       1968-1971 (†1996) PZPR
Stefan Olszowski          1971-1976         PZPR 
Emil Wojtaszek            1976-1980 (†2017) PZPR 
Jσzef Czyrek              1980-1982 (†2013) PZPR
Stefan Olszowski          1982-1985         PZPR 
Marian Orzechowski        1985-1988 (†2020) PZPR
Tadeusz Olechowski        1988-1989 (†2001) PZPR   
Krzysztof Skubiszewski    1989-1993 (†2010) n/p 
Andrzej Marian Olechowski 1993-1995         BBWR
Wladyslaw Bartoszewski    1995      (†2015) n/p 
Dariusz Kajetan Rosati    1995-1997         SdRP/SLD       
Bronislaw Geremek         1997-2000 (†2008) UW
Wladyslaw Bartoszewski    2000-2001 (†2015) n/p 
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz   2001-2005         SLD
Adam Daniel Rotfeld       2005              n/p
Stefan Meller             2005-2006 (†2008) n/p
Anna Fotyga               2006-2007         PiS
Radoslaw Sikorski         2007-2014         PO
Grzegorz Schetyna         2014-2015         PO
Witold Waszczykowski      2015-2018         PiS
Jacek Czaputowicz         2018-2020         PiS
Zbigniew Rau              2020-2023         PiS
Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek 2023              PiS
Radoslaw Sikorski         2023-             PO

Ministers of Defense
Michal Rola-Zymierski     1944-1950 (†1989) PZPR/military
Konstanty Rokossowski     1949-1956 (†1968) PZPR/military
Marian Spychalski         1956-1968 (†1980) PZPR/military
Wojciech Jaruzelski       1968-1983 (†2014) PZPR/military
Florian Siwicki           1983-1990 (†2013) PZPR, n/p
Piotr Kolodziejczyk       1990-1991 (†2019) n/p
Jan Parys                 1991-1992         n/p
Romuald Szeremietiew      1992              PPN (acting)
Janusz Onyszkiewicz       1992-1993         UD
Piotr Kolodziejczyk       1993-1994 (†2019) n/p
Jerzy Milewski            1994-1995 (†1997) n/p (acting)
Zbigniew Okonski          1995              n/p
Andrzej Karkoszka         1995-1996         n/p (acting)
Stanislaw Dobrzanski      1996-1997         PSL  
Janusz Onyszkiewicz       1997-2000         UW
Bronislaw Komorowski      2000-2001         SKL
Jerzy Szmajdzinski        2001-2005 (†2010) SLD 
Radoslaw Sikorski         2005-2007         n/p
Aleksander Szczyglo       2007      (†2010) PiS
Bogdan Klich              2007-2011         PO
Tomasz Siemoniak          2011-2015         PO
Antoni Macierewicz        2015-2018         PIS
Mariusz Blaszczak         2018-2023         PiS
Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz 2023-             PSL

Ministers of Finance
Konstanty Dabrowski        1944-1952 (†1975) PPS, PZPR
Tadeusz Dietrich           1952-1960 (†1960) PZPR
Jerzy Albrecht             1960-1968 (†1992) PZPR
Stanislaw Majewski         1968-1969 (†1975) PZPR
Jσzef Trendota             1969-1971 (†1989) PZPR  
Stefan Jedrychowski        1971-1974 (†1996) PZPR
Henryk Kisiel              1974-1980 (†2000) PZPR
Marian Krzak               1980-1982 (†1996) PZPR
Stanislaw Nieckarz         1982-1986 (†2014) PZPR 
Bazyli Samojlik            1986-1988 (†2019) PZPR
Andrzej Wrσblewski         1988-1989         PZPR
Wincenty J. Lewandowski    1989              n/p (acting)
Leszek Balcerowicz         1989-1991         n/p, UD
Karol Lutkowski            1991-1992         n/p
Andrzej Marian Olechowski  1992              n/p
Jerzy Osiatynski           1992-1993 (†2022) UD
Marek Borowski             1993-1994         SdRP/SLD 
Henryk Chmielak            1993              n/p (acting)
Grzegorz Kolodko           1994-1997         n/p     
Marek Belka                1997              n/p
Leszek Balcerowicz         1997-2000         UW
Jaroslaw Bauc              2000-2001         AWS   
Halina Wasilewska-Trenkner 2001      (†2017) AWS
Marek Belka                2001-2002         SLD
Grzegorz Kolodko           2002-2003         n/p
Andrzej Raczko             2003-2004         n/p
Miroslaw Gronicki          2004-2005         n/p
Teresa Lubinska            2005-2006         n/p
Zyta Gilowska              2006      (†2016) n/p
Pawel Wojciechowski        2006              n/p
Stanislaw Kluza            2006              n/p
Zyta Gilowska              2006-2007 (†2016) n/p
Jacek Rostowski            2007-2013         n/p, PO 
Mateusz Szczurek           2013-2015         n/p
Pawel Szalamacha           2015-2016         PiS
Mateusz Morawiecki         2016-2018         PiS 
Teresa Czerwinska          2018-2019         PiS
Marian Banas               2019              n/p
Mateusz Morawiecki         2019              PiS (acting)
Jerzy Kwiecinski           2019              PiS
Tadeusz Koscinski          2019-2022         n/p
Mateusz Morawiecki         2022              PiS (acting)
Magdalena Rzeczkowska      2022-2023         n/p
Andrzej Kosztowniak        2023              PiS
Andrzej Domanski           2023-             PO

Chairmen of SdRP, SLD, NL
Aleksander Kwasniewski  1990-1995 
Jσzef Oleksy            1996-1997 (†2015)
Leszek Miller           1997-2004 
Krzysztof Janik         2004      
Jσzef Oleksy            2004-2005 (†2015)
Wojciech Olejniczak     2005-2008
Grzegorz B. Napieralski 2008-2011
Leszek Miller           2011-2016
Wlodzimierz Czarzasty   2016-2021
Wlodzimierz Czarzasty +
Robert Biedron          2021- 

The SdRP was born on 29 Jan 1990 from the disbanded PZPR. It became then the core of the SLD, a parliamentary coalition of about 32 political and trade union organizations launched in Jul 1991. On 15 Apr 1999 the SLD was registered as a party, in which the SdRP would be eventually merged. That happened on 16 Jun 1999 and subsequently the SdRP was disbanded. On 26 Mar 2004 SdPl was launched by splinters of SLD. The SLD changed its name to NL on 27 Jan 2020 and; then, it merged with Wiosna (Spring) party. This upgraded NL party was formally launched on 9 Oct 2021.


Chairmen of AWS/AWSP, RS AWS, RS (1996-2004)
AWS / AWSP
Marian Krzaklewski   1996-2001 
Jerzy Karol Buzek    2001      

RS AWS / RS
Marian Krzaklewski   1997-1999 
Jerzy Karol Buzek    1999-2001 
Mieczyslaw Janowski  2001-2002
Krzysztof Piesiewicz 2002-2004 

The AWS took shape from Jun to Dec 1996 as a coalition of more than 30 (number changing) center and right-oriented parties and organizations, most of them coming from the Solidarity movement. The party RS AWS was launched on 13 Nov 1997 as the official political wing of the Solidarity trade union and a new member of AWS. On 23 Dec 2000 the AWS was renewed as a federation of several parties with a core of four, RS AWS, ZChN, PPChD and SKL. In Mar 2001 the SKL left out, leaving the alliance reduced to three parties, which adopted the name of AWSP. In 2001 elections AWSP did not obtain enough votes to enter Sejm and became defunct. On 28 Apr 2002 RS AWS shortened its name to simply RS. The party was disbanded on 3 Apr 2004.


Leaders of PO
Co-leaders
Andrzej Olechowski +               
Donald Tusk +               
Maciej Plazynski  2001-2002 (†2010) 

Chairmen
Maciej Plazynski  2002-2003 (†2010)
Donald Tusk       2003-2014
Ewa Kopacz        2014-2016
Grzegorz Schetyna 2016-2020
Borys Budka       2020-2021
Donald Tusk       2021-

PO was launched on 24 Jan 2001 as a "political initiative" and was registered as a party on 5 Mar 2002.


Chairmen of LPR
Marek Boleslaw Kotlinowski   2001-2006 
Roman Giertych               2006-2007
Sylwester Arkadiusz Chruszcz 2007-2008 (interim)
Miroslaw Orzechowski         2008-2009 (interim)
Wojciech Wierzejski          2009      (interim)
Arnold Wiktor Masin          2009      (interim)
Miroslaw Orzechowski         2009      (interim)
Witold Mieczyslaw Balazak    2009-

LPR was registered on 30 May 2001.


Chairmen of PiS
Lech Kaczynski     2001-2003 (†2010) 
Jaroslaw Kaczynski 2003-     

PiS, introduced in Apr 2001 by the wing of PC that refused to join the PPChD in 1999, held its constituent convention on 9 Jun 2001. In 2002 it merged with the Right-wing Alliance (PP), which for its part was launched in Mar 2001 by splinters of ZChN and SKL).


Leaders of Samoobrona
Andrzej Lepper            1992-2011 (†2011)
Jerzy Piasecki            2011-2012         (acting)   
Andrzej Prochon           2012 
Lech Stefan Kuropatwinski 2012-2022 (†2022) 
Jan Perkowski             2023-

Samoobrona was established as a trade union in 1991 and was registered as a political party on 10 Jan 1992.


Chairmen of PSL
Roman Boleslaw Bartoszcze    1990-1991 (†2015)
Waldemar Pawlak              1991-1997 
Jaroslaw Kalinowski          1997-2004
Janusz Czeslaw Wojciechowski 2004-2005 
Waldemar Pawlak              2005-2012
Janusz Piechocinski          2012-2015
Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz    2015-     

The first PSL was launched in Nov 1989 from the previous ZSL, a PZPR satellite. In May 1990 this PSL "Restoration" joined the so-called PSL "Wilanow" and some sections of the PSL-Solidarity to form the current PSL.


Chairmen UD, UW, PD, UED
Tadeusz Mazowiecki       1991-1995 (†2013)
Leszek Balcerowicz       1995-2000 
Bronislaw Geremek        2000-2001 (†2008) 
Wladyslaw Frasyniuk      2001-2006
Janusz Adam Onyszkiewic  2006-2009
Brygida Justyna Kuznia   2009-2012
Andrzej Bohdan Celinsk   2012-2015
Elzbieta Binczycka       2015-   

UD was launched in May 1991 as the merger of several pro-Mazowiecki groups originated in the liberal wing of the Citizens' Parliamentary Party (OKP, formed by Sejm members from the ranks of the Solidarity Citizens' Committee, KOS), from which the Civic Movement Democratic Action (ROAD, founded in Jul 1990) was the biggest. On 23 Apr 1994 it merged with the KLD (chaired by Donald Tusk) to form the UW. On 7 May 2005, the PD was established on the basis of the UW, which ceased to exist. The PD was dissolved on 12 Nov 2016 to form the UED.


Chairmen of UP
Ryszard Bugaj                  1992-1997  
Aleksander Maria Malachowski   1997      (†2004) (interim) 
Marek Ludwik Pol               1998-2004  
Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka         2004-2005 (†2010)
Andrzej Kazimierz Spychalski   2005-2006
Waldemar Wlodzimierz Witkowski 2006-

UP emerged in Jun 1992 from the left wing of the Solidarity movement.


Chairmen of SdPl
Marek Stefan Borowski       2004-2008
Bartosz Dominiak            2008-2009 (acting)   
Wojciech Jerzy Filemonowicz 2009-

SdPl was formed on 26 Mar 2004 by splinters of SLD.


Chairmen of .Nowoczesna
Ryszard Jerzy Petru     2015-2017
Katarzyna Anna Lubnauer 2017-2019
Adam Stanislaw Szlapka  2019-
.Nowoczesna was founded on 31 May 2015.
Chairmen of ROP (1995-2012)
Jan Olszewski    1995-2011 (†2019)         
Stanislaw Gogacz 2011-2012 
ROP was formed on 19 Nov 1995 from the previous Movement for the Republic (RdR), which was an splinter group of PC launched in 1992, and ended its activities on 23 Jun 2012.
Chairmen of ZChN (1989-2010)
Wieslaw Marian Chrzanowski 1989-1994 (†2012)
Ryszard Henryk Czarnecki   1994-1996         (acting to 1995)
Marian Pilka               1996-2000 
Stanislaw Zajac            2000-2002 (†2010) 
Jerzy Janusz Kropiwnicki   2002-2006
Jacek Andrzej Szczot       2006-2007    
Marian Papis               2009-2010

The ZChN was founded in Oct 1989. It ceased to exist on 27 Jan 2010


Chairmen of SKL (1997-2002 / 2007-2014)
Jacek Janiszewski        1997-1998 
Miroslaw Andrzej Styczen 1998-2000 
Jan Wladyslaw Rokita     2000-2002 
Artur Krzysztof Balazs   2002-2003
Artur Krzysztof Balazs   2007-2009
Marek Tadeusz Zagσrski   2009-2014

The SKL was founded on 12 Jan 1997 as the merger of the Peasant Christian Party (SLCh, chaired by Artur Balazs), the Conservative Party (PK, chaired by Aleksander Hall) and splinters of UW. In Mar 2001 the party withdrew from the AWS coalition and on 13 Jan 2002 it merged with the PPChD to form the SKL-RNP. The party was dissolved in 2003 and reactivated by Balazs in 2007. On 1 Mar 2014 SKL merged into PRZP, ceasing to exist.


Chairman of SKL-RNP (2002-2003)
Artur Krzysztof Balazs 2002-2003     
The SKL-RNP was born on 13 Jan 2002 from the merger of SKL and PPChD. The party was disbanded in Dec 2003.
Chairman of PPChD (1999-2002)
Antoni Justyn Tokarczuk 1999-2002 

The PPChD was founded on 26 Sep 1999 as the merger of three parties: PC (founded 12 May 1990 and chaired successively by Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Antoni Tokarczuk); PChD (chaired by Pawel Laczkowski) and RdR. On 13 Jan 2002 the PPChD merged with the SKL to form the SKL-RNP.

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