| Zbigniew Messner | |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Poland 9th Premier of Communist Poland |
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| In office 6 November 1985 – 27 September 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Wojciech Jaruzelski |
| Succeeded by | Mieczysław Rakowski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 March 1929 Stryi, Second Polish Republic |
| Political party | Polish United Workers' Party |
| Profession | Economist |
Zbigniew Messner ['zbiɡɲɛf ˈmɛssnɛr] ( listen) (b. 13 March 1929 in Stryj, Poland) was a Communist economist and politician in Poland. In 1972, he became Professor of Karol Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice. He was a member of Central Committee of Polish United Workers' Party from 1981 until 1988, deputy prime minister in 1983–1985 and Prime Minister 1985–1988.
In 1988, his cabinet received a motion of no confidence in the Sejm (Parliament), still dominated by Communists, and had to transfer power to Mieczysław Rakowski. This was an unprecedented event in the Communist world, one of the strongest signs of democratic change brought by Mikhail Gorbachev. Alternatively, this change in cabinet could easily be viewed as one of many like steps of internal reorganization conducted periodically by Communist regimes in all Communist-dominated countries.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wojciech Jaruzelski |
Prime Minister of Poland 1985–1988 |
Succeeded by Mieczysław Rakowski |
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