Profile: Bronislaw Komorowski

July 6, 2010 - 0:0

Bronislaw Komorowski has won an election run-off and will become the next president of Poland, according to exit polls.

Previously Poland's parliamentary speaker, he was thrust into the role of acting president after the death of Lech Kaczynski in a plane crash in Russia.
As Marshal of the Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament, since November 2007, presidential powers were automatically transferred to Mr Komorowski upon Mr Kaczynski's death.
The 58-year-old historian and former defense minister was due to run in the October presidential election and opinion polls suggested he would have defeated Mr Kaczynski.
But he ended up facing Lech Kaczynski's twin brother, Jaroslaw, in an earlier vote.
Though he has remained the favorite, Mr Komorowski was unable to win the first round on 20 June outright.
Mr Komorowski, the son of a count who grew up in poverty, represents Prime Minister Donald Tusk's ruling pro-business, pro-euro Civic Platform (PO).
Jaroslaw Kaczynski is from the opposition conservative Law and Justice party, which he founded with twin brother Lech.
An outspoken and combative figure, Lech Kaczynski often criticized the PO's liberal economic policies and vetoed their bills, blocking health, media and pension reforms.
A married father of five, Mr Komorowski won his party's backing in March to be the PO candidate for the presidential election.
He was arrested several times in the 1970s by Poland's authoritarian government for taking part in anti-communist rallies, and sent to an internment camp in the early 1980s while Poland was under martial law, according to his website.
Mr Komorowski has held several government posts since 1989, serving as a member of parliament since 1991 and as defense minister from June 2000 to October 2001.
He studied history at Warsaw University and later went on to teach the subject at a seminary.
Mr Komorowski was actively involved with the scouting movement, which he credits for introducing him to his wife.
In his first act after assuming the presidential duties, he declared a week of national mourning and urged Poles to set aside their political differences.
(Source: BBC)