Ewa Kopacz
| Ewa Kopacz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Prime Minister of Poland | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 22 September 2014 | |
| President | Bronisław Komorowski |
| Deputy | Tomasz Siemoniak Janusz Piechociński |
| Preceded by | Donald Tusk |
| Leader of the Civic Platform | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 8 November 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Donald Tusk |
| Marshal of the Sejm | |
| In office 8 November 2011 – 22 September 2014 | |
| President | Bronisław Komorowski |
| Preceded by | Grzegorz Schetyna |
| Succeeded by | Radosław Sikorski |
| Minister of Health | |
| In office 16 November 2007 – 8 November 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | Donald Tusk |
| Preceded by | Zbigniew Religa |
| Succeeded by | Bartosz Arłukowicz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 December 1956 Skaryszew, Poland |
| Political party | Freedom Union (Before 2001) Civic Platform (2001–present) |
| Alma mater | Medical University of Lublin |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Awards |    |
Ewa Kopacz [ˈɛva ˈkɔpat͡ʂ] (born Ewa Lis, December 3, 1956 in Skaryszew) is a Polish politician and currently the Prime Minister of Poland. Previously she was the Speaker of the Sejm, the only woman to have held the post. In addition, she was Minister of Health from November 2007 until November 2011. Kopacz has been a member of the Civic Platform since 2001.[1] Kopacz became Prime Minister on September 22, 2014, succeeding Donald Tusk; she is the second woman to hold the office after Hanna Suchocka.[2] Prior to entering politics, she was a pediatrician and a general practitioner.[3]
Biography
Kopacz is the daughter of Mieczysław and Krystyna. Her father was employed as a mechanic and her mother worked as a tailor. She was raised in Radom, where she graduated from high school. In 1981 she graduated from the Medical University of Lublin. She received second-degree specialisation in family medicine and a first degree in the field of paediatrics. She worked at the clinics in the villages of Orońsko and Chlewiska, then town of Szydłowiec, where until 2001 she headed the local health care facility.
Political activities
In the 1980s, Kopacz joined United People's Party.
In the 1990s, she joined the Freedom Union and chaired the party's structures in the province of Radom. In the local elections in 1998, the regional council elected a her as the councilor for the Masovian Voivodship.
In 2001, Kopacz left the Freedom Union to the newly created political party of Civic Platform. She was then elected to the Parliament in 2005, where she took over as the head of the Health Committee. She worked as the chairperson of the Civic Platform structures of Masovia.
Sejm of the Republic of Poland
Kopacz was first elected as a deputy to the Sejm in 2001.[1] She was subsequently re-elected in 2005, 2007 and 2011. In November 2011, she was elected the Marshal of the Sejm.[4]
Minister of Health
In 2009 Kopacz gained some degree of international fame by requesting pharmaceutical companies to present the advantages of swine flu vaccines, and demanding they take full responsibility for the side effects. She advised the Polish government to wait until proper testing had been done on the vaccine before investing in it, citing the fact that seasonal flu exceeds the current WHO criteria for pandemic every year but there has been no declaration of a pandemic of this much more dangerous seasonal flu.[5] The Polish government refused to purchase the vaccine in question.
Pro-life activists in Poland had called for her excommunication after she was involved in arranging, in accordance with Polish law, an abortion for a 14-year-old girl, citing Canon 1398, which automatically sanctions anyone who allows the procedure to occur.[6]
Prime Minister
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On September 22, 2014 Ewa Kopacz was sworn in as Prime Minister and formed a cabinet.[7][8] On November 8, 2014 she was sworn in as leader of the Civic Platform after resignation of Donald Tusk.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kopacz, Ewa. "O mnie" [About me]. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- ↑ "President confirms incoming PM Ewa Kopacz". Polskie Radio. September 12, 2014. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
- ↑ "Życiorys Ewy Kopacz. Kopacz jako minister zdrowia - Polska - Newsweek.pl". Newsweek.pl. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ↑ "Ewa Kopacz elected Polish Sejm Speaker". Voice of Russia. November 8, 2011. Archived from the original on September 26, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
- ↑ "Polska bez szczepionki - Ewa Kopacz (03.11.2009)". Vimeo. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ↑ "Poland Pro-Life Groups Call for Health Minister's Excommunication After Abortion Involvement". June 24, 2008. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2009.
- ↑ "Ewa Kopacz sworn-in as new Polish Prime Minister". The Hindu (Warsaw). September 22, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
- ↑ "New Polish PM Ewa Kopacz unveils new cabinet". Euronews. September 26, 2014. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ewa Kopacz. |
- Official website (Polish)
- Ewa Kopacz - parliamentary page (Polish) – includes declarations of interest, voting record, and transcripts of speeches
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Zbigniew Religa |
Minister of Health 2007–2011 |
Succeeded by Bartosz Arłukowicz |
| Preceded by Grzegorz Schetyna |
Marshal of the Sejm 2011–2014 |
Succeeded by Radosław Sikorski |
| Preceded by Donald Tusk |
Prime Minister of Poland 2014–present |
Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Donald Tusk |
Leader of the Civic Platform 2014–present |
Incumbent |
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