Andrzej Lepper

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Andrzej Lepper

Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper (born June 13, 1954 in Stowięcino, Poland) is a Polish politician, the leader of Samoobrona RP (Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland) political party, and between May 5 and September 22 and again from October 16, 2006 Deputy Prime Minister of Poland and Minister of Agriculture in Jarosław Kaczyński's cabinet.

His civil profession prior to entering politics was farming in the village of Zielnowo, Pomerania.

1 Early years and education
2 Political career
3 Political style and views
4 Recent developments
5 Harassment scandal
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Early years and education

Lepper was born in the village of Stowięcino, a tiny hamlet of roughly 200^[1] which has suffered greatly since Poland's transformation to a market-based economy because of its previous reliance on the socialist agricultural system. He is a farmer by trade, with no formal higher education^[1]. During the period of economic transformation his farm fell into debt and he was on the verge of bankruptcy.^[1]

In school Lepper was known for his extraordinary kickboxing abilities, as demonstrated on his fellow pupils. Lepper did not complete his secondary education at the State Agricultural Technical School in Sypniewo. Nevertheless he received two honorary doctorates^[2] and a honorary professorship from the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management in Kiev, a private institution which actively promotes anti-Semitism.^[3] The Anti-Defamation League strongly condemned "Prof. Dr." Andrzej Lepper for accepting these titles.^[4]

[edit] Political career

From 1977-1980 he was a member of PZPR, Poland's communist party. In 1992 Lepper formed a new political party, an organisation of struggling farmers like himself, naming it "Samoobrona" (Self defence)^[1]. His first task was to displace and eliminate his rival Stanislaw Tyminski as a competitor. For this purpose Lepper adopted entire political program of Stanisław Tymiński as his own. Lepper organized anti-government demonstrations and other actions, especially against the Suchocka and Buzek governments, against what he saw as growing injustice, especially against farmers. As party president he challenged Aleksander Kwaśniewski in the run for Presidency in 1995 (1.3% votes). In the year 2000 Samoobrona organized a campaign of blocking major roads^[1] in order to bring media attention to the hard-pressed situation of the Polish agricultural industry. Lepper gained 3.05% votes in the 2000 presidential elections. In Polish legislative election, 2001, Lepper's party managed to enter the lower chamber of the Polish Parliament (Sejm)^[1] and formed an important fraction of it. Lepper was elected from Koszalin constituency. In the Polish presidential election, 2005 he gained 15.1% of votes, coming third.

[edit] Political style and views

Samoobrona and Lepper play on the disillusionment of millions of poor citizens with the current socio-economic situation in Poland, living mostly in small towns and villages with high unemployment rates, who believe that they have lost out in the transition to the free market economy after 1989. However, Lepper is often criticized for not acknowledging the tremendous economic growth Poland has experienced since then.

Using strongly populist messages and committing spectacular acts of civil disobedience, he managed to gain nationwide publicity and a strong following in the countryside, where he is regarded as common man. He also protested against the selling of Polish land to foreigners. He fiercely opposed Poland joining the European Union, partially on nationalistic grounds, but also based on the presumed detrimental effect that accession would have on Polish agriculture, although he has toned down his position since then. In fact during his recent tenure as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of Agriculture Lepper worked hard for Polish agriculture within the European structures and on his departure was described by Union officials as "pragmatic and professional".

Andrzej Lepper is the only well-known Polish politician who consistently opposes Poland's involvement in U.S. led global wars and military undertakings. He's been involved in promoting close relations with the country's eastern neighbours - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

In part of the Polish population he evokes strong negative emotions of hatred and contempt. Andrzej Lepper himself appears to be a restless man, not easily placated and not inclined to settle down as an office holder, as his recent brief participation in Kaczyński's government shows.

With the votes of the left-wing majority on Sejm, in 2001 he was elected Vice-Speaker of Sejm (Wicemarszałek Sejmu) but after violating time constraints on debates he was dismissed.

Among their other incidents in parliament were such incidents as using their own loudspeakers in the Sejm or claiming that Robert Smoktunowicz of the liberal Citizens' Platform engaged in the precious-stone trade doing business with the Afghani Taliban.

[edit] Recent developments

Lepper was the candidate of his party in the Polish presidential election in 2005. He had the support of about 10% of the electorate, according to a poll conducted shortly before the election. His party received 13% of the vote and 56 seats in the Polish parliamentary election in September of 2005. In the October 2005 presidential elections, Lepper received 15% of the vote and became the third place candidate.

While collaborating with PIS he has accused his allies of spying him and trying to harm Samoobrona. After several conflicts Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński asked his brother President Lech Kaczyński to sack Lepper from the Cabinet.

Kaczyński invited him back to his cabinet again on October 16.

[edit] Harassment scandal

In December 2006 a female party member claimed that Lepper and party deputy Stanisław Łyżwiński had demanded sexual favours in exchange for a job in a regional party office. After the publication of these claims in the Gazeta Wyborcza ^[5], several other women came out with similar accusations.

Poland's chief prosecutor Janusz Kaczmarek later launched an investigation into the abuse allegations against both men.