Jerzy Karol Buzek Polish engineer, lecturer and politician. Date of Birth: 03.07.1940 Country: Poland

Biography of Jerzy Karol Buzek

Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish engineer, lecturer, and political figure. He was born in Smilovice, Czech Republic, into a family of Lutherans who were actively involved in Polish politics during the Second Polish Republic. After World War II, the Buzeks moved to Chorzów, Poland. Buzek studied chemistry at the Silesian University of Technology and later pursued a career in science at the Polish Academy of Sciences, where he became a professor in 1997. He also holds honorary doctoral degrees from Seoul University and Dortmund University.

In 1997, Buzek became the Prime Minister of Poland, serving until 2001. During his tenure, he received numerous awards and nominations for his achievements, including the Grzegorz Palk Prize and nominations for European of the Year by the European Union Business Chambers and Man of the Year by the Polish weekly magazine 'Wprost'.

After losing the parliamentary elections in 2001, Buzek returned to his scientific career. He became the Vice-Rector of Akademia Polonijna in Częstochowa and a professor at Opole University of Technology. In the 1980s, Buzek was an activist in various democratic and anti-communist movements, particularly with the Solidarity group. He was elected to the Polish parliament in 1997 and subsequently became Prime Minister. In 1999, Buzek became the chairman of the civic movement AWS and later the chairman of the Solidarity Electoral Action coalition in 2001.

In 2004, Buzek successfully won the European Parliament elections, receiving an unprecedented number of votes. He served in various committees and participated in delegations dealing with production, research, energy, environmental protection, health, and food security. In June 2009, Buzek was re-elected to the European Parliament, and a month later, he was elected as the President of the European Union, becoming the first representative from the former Eastern Bloc and the first former Prime Minister since Emilio Colombo to hold the position.

Buzek pledged to prioritize the protection of human rights and the development of partnership relations in the Eastern region. He served in this position for two and a half years before being succeeded by Martin Schulz, as per the previously agreed political agreement.