Waldemar Pawlak

Poland state institutions Agrarianism and peasant parties 1959–

Poland's youngest prime minister of the transition era and leader of the re-founded Polish People's Party

Born in the village of Model in Masovia, he graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology and took part in student strikes against martial law. He joined the United People's Party in 1985, was elected to the Contract Sejm in 1989, became a member of the Polish People's Party in 1990 and led it in 1991–1997 and 2005–2012. Named by President Wałęsa in 1992, he was caretaker prime minister for 33 days but failed to form a coalition; after the 1993 election he was prime minister again until 1995 in coalition with the Democratic Left Alliance. In 2007–2012 he was deputy prime minister and minister of economy in Tusk's governments.