Andrzej Lepper

Andrzej Lepper (2010)

Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper [ 'andʒɛj' zbʲigɲɛf 'lɛp (p) ɛr ] (born June 13, 1954 in Stowięcino ; † August 5, 2011 in Warsaw ) was a Polish politician and trade unionist . He was the founder and long-time chairman of the Samoobrona party . From 2006 to 2007 he was Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Prime Minister in the government of Jarosław Kaczyński with a short break .

Youth and early years

Andrzej Lepper was born in Stowięcino ( German  Stojentin ), a village in Pomerania. In 1974 he graduated from the agricultural technical high school (Polish Państwowe Technikum Rolnicze ) in Sypniewo without a high school diploma. Lepper became a farmer and in 1980 bought a farm in Zielnowo . After the market economy reforms in Poland in 1989, his farm went bankrupt.

Political career

Due to the difficult situation for farmers during the market economy reforms, Lepper took part in political protests by farmers against the government's economic policy. On January 10, 1992, he founded the Samoobrona (German self-defense ) union , which was subsequently converted into a party in June 1992, and of which he remained chairman until his death. In the early days of his party, he organized demonstrations and violent resistance, above all against the government of Hanna Suchocka and later Jerzy Buzek , which he held responsible for the growing social injustice, which in his eyes was particularly directed against farmers.

In 1993 he was charged twice by the Polish Public Prosecutor's Office for improper conduct towards the state authorities, but was subsequently acquitted both times.

His party Samoobrona took part in the parliamentary elections for the first time in 1993 , in which they clearly missed entry into parliament with 2.78%. In 1995 Lepper also took part in the presidential election for the first time , but received only 1.32% of the vote, mainly from supporters of the agricultural sector and from his home region in Pomerania.

In 2000 he organized nationwide road blockades, which brought him a lot of attention all over Poland. As a result, his level of awareness increased significantly. In the presidential election this year he was able to get 3.05% of the validly cast votes and in the parliamentary election in 2001 his party got 10.20% of the vote, so that it could move into the Sejm , where it occupied 53 of the 460 seats. but did not belong to any government coalition. In the same legislative period, Lepper received the post of Deputy Speaker of Parliament (Vice-Marshal), but quickly lost the post again after he named the then President Aleksander Kwaśniewski as the "greatest lazy man in the nation", the then Foreign Minister Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz as the "bribed canal" and the former President Lech Wałęsa had called a "impostor". During this legislative period, the first for the members of the Samoobrona, the newcomers in parliament attracted attention with aggressive and loud protests and thus partially hindered the work of parliament.

Both presidential and parliamentary elections were held in Poland in 2005 . In both elections, Lepper and his party improved, Lepper himself was even able to almost quintuple his result compared to the presidential election in 2000 and reached third place. After the parliamentary elections in 2005 , no coalition was formed for the time being, although no parliamentary group held a majority of the seats in the Sejm. The then government consisted of the PiS party (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość; German law and justice ) under Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz . After Jarosław Kaczyński took over the post of prime minister , Samoobrona became a coalition partner of the PiS. This made Lepper Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Prime Minister. His nomination led to violent protests among MPs, as a result of which Foreign Minister Stefan Meller resigned and was replaced by the largely unknown PiS politician Anna Fotyga . Because of Lepper's participation in the government, the Kaczyński government was now even more criticized, both in Poland and abroad. I.a. the renowned historian Jan M. Piskorski wrote an open letter to the Minister of Culture, Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski , to protest against Lepper's participation in the government.

After Lepper had made ever more extensive demands in the course of the negotiations on the budget for agriculture and social affairs, Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński proposed to President Lepper on September 21, 2006, which took place a day later. The Samoobrona party then withdrew completely from the government, which thereby lost its majority in parliament. After nearly a month of violent media disputes between the PiS and the Samoobrona, the latter rejoined the government because Kaczyński had not succeeded in getting a majority in the Sejm without the Samoobrona.

On July 9, 2007, Lepper was released again by Kaczyński. According to the Polish government, the dismissal was due to an investigation into the fight against corruption. Lepper then announced that the Samoobrona would leave the coalition with the PiS. The Samoobrona did not do this for the time being and presented Prime Minister Kaczyński with an ultimatum. A week after the government crisis began, on July 16, 2007, Lepper decided to stay in the coalition. Lepper announced that his Samoobrona would merge with the coalition's second junior partner, the League of Polish Families (LPR).

At a press conference on August 11, 2007, Lepper accused the Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro of having warned him about the fabricated bribe handover, which was then supposed to expose him as corrupt. Ziobro, however, denied the allegations. In the early parliamentary elections on October 21, 2007 , the Samoobrona ran again, but failed with 1.53% of the 5% hurdle.

Then Andrzej Lepper ran again in the 2010 presidential election . Due to an outdated extract from the criminal record, he was initially refused admission on May 10, 2010, and the election committee corrected the decision the next day. The reason was a prison sentence that had already been overturned by the Supreme Court. During the first ballot on June 20, 2010, Lepper received only 1.28% of the vote.

death

According to a statement by the police spokesman Marcin Szyndler, Andrzej Lepper hanged himself on August 5, 2011 in the Warsaw headquarters of his party. Further investigations by the Warsaw public prosecutor's office and the forensic medical examination began on August 8th. He was buried in Krupy on August 11, 2011 . In November 2012, the investigation into this matter was finally terminated. According to the public prosecutor's office, the thesis that someone persuaded Lepper to commit suicide or helped him with it could not be confirmed. Lepper's family did not object to this.

Political practices and views

Lepper's and Samoobrona's views are considered populist . He and his followers have repeatedly committed civil disobedience on behalf of the party in the past.

Lepper was against Poland's accession to the EU, but broke off a campaign he had initiated for a “No” in the referendum on accession due to the widespread pro-European stance among the Polish population. Nevertheless, he continued to represent positions that were strongly critical of the EU and justified these with existential risks for Polish farmers. He also feared that joining the EU could widen the social gap even further. Many voters of Lepper and Samoobrona were farmers or poorly educated, mostly unemployed and elderly people from rural areas and neglected neighborhoods in large cities.

He stood up for the expansion of relations with Russia , Belarus and Ukraine and was considered a sympathizer of the Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko . He was also an opponent of globalization and criticized Poland's close ties to the United States . After Lepper's death, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry described Lepper as an “outstanding Polish politician” and an “uncompromising protector of the interests of ordinary people.” According to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman, the death of such a politician immediately before the parliamentary elections was “worrying”. Lepper repeatedly opposed the Kaczyński government, in which he was involved, to send more troops to Afghanistan. He also rejected the stationing of a US missile defense system in Poland and once again opposed the Prime Minister and President.

Repeatedly, he and the members of the Samoobrona in the Sejm attracted attention through extraordinary actions and statements. This included, for example, setting up speakers if the MP's speaking time had expired or his speech was adjourned. He also accused Robert Smoktunowicz of the right-wing liberal Platforma Obywatelska ( Civic Platform ) of being involved in the amber trade with the Taliban .

Criminal phenomena

Lepper has been charged several times with insult , assault , defamation and improper behavior (including during demonstrations, road blockades). In May 2001, he became one because of similar offenses imprisonment sentenced of 16 months, in this case, however, one is appeal process pending that after the loss of Lepper's immunity , so after losing the mandate could be continued.

Allegation of sexual coercion

He was also accused by a female Samoobrona member of offering her a job against sexual intercourse together with Stanisław Łyżwiński , a member of his parliamentary group. After these allegations became public, other women came forward with similar reports. These allegations opened an investigation by the General Prosecutor's Office to prevent false accusations against Lepper and Łyżwiński. Stanisław Łyżwiński was remanded in custody in August 2007 on suspicion of rape . When he was arrested, he said, “ I will not go down alone! “, Which could indicate Lepper's complicity. In February 2010, Lepper was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, but appealed. At the time of his death, the trial was still ongoing.

Awards

The National Academy for Personnel Management in Kiev awarded him two honorary doctorates and an honorary professorship . The National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorski" also awarded him an honorary doctorate.

Private

Lepper lived in Zielnowo with his wife Irena and three children .

Election results in presidential elections

• 1995 : 01.32%
• 2000 : 03.05%
• 2005 : 15.11%
• 2010 : 01.28%

Works

• Każdy kij ma dwa końce. (Warsaw 2001); Polish
• Lista Leppera. (Warsaw 2002); Polish

literature

• Zbigniew Wilkiewicz: Populism in Poland. The example of the Samoobrona under Andrzej Lepper . In: Nikolaus Werz (Ed.): Populism: Populists in Übersee und Europa (= Analyzes. Vol. 79). Leske and Budrich, Opladen 2003, ISBN 3-8100-3727-3 , pp. 163-175.

Web links

Commons : Andrzej Lepper  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Andrzej Lepper
• An unholy alliance in Poland, NZZ, March 28, 2006 ( Memento from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
• Pig farmer, farmer catcher, statesman - Lepper in portrait. polen-rundschau, May 2006
• Adventurous connection, FAZ, March 18, 2006
• Right, left, back and forth, Friday May 19, 2006
• Polish right-wing populist. Farmer leader Lepper is dead

Footnotes

1. ↑ Andrzej Lepper never żyje. Popełnił samobójstwo. gazeta.pl, August 5, 2011, accessed August 5, 2011 (Polish). 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Andrzej Lepper found dead in his office. Der Standard, August 5, 2011, accessed August 5, 2011 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Simon Araloff: Poland's Elections: Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper - Peasantry's Iron Fist. Axis Information and Analysis, October 3, 2005, accessed February 23, 2007 . 
4. ↑ Stern: Andrzej Lepper: The Polish Chavez. July 20, 2007
5. ↑ tagesschau.de: After corruption investigations against ministers - Polish Deputy Prime Minister Lepper dismissed , July 9, 2007 (tagesschau.de archive)
6. ^ Reuters Germany: Lepper issues an ultimatum in the Polish government crisis.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. July 11, 2007  
7. ↑ SPIEGEL-online: Government crisis in Poland - Prime Minister Kaczynski's coalition partners merge. July 16, 2007
8. ↑ ZPOW-650-2 / 10: Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza, Komunikat Państwowej Komisji Wyborczej z dnia 10 maja 2010 r. o odmowie zarejestrowania kandydata na Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w wyborach zarządzonych na dzień 20 czerwca 2010 r. , May 10, 2010 ( Memento from May 13, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
9. ↑ ZPOW-650-3 / 10: Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza, Komunikat Państwowej Komisji Wyborczej z dnia 11 maja 2010 r. o zarejestrowaniu kandydata na Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej Andrzeja Zbigniewa Leppera. , May 11, 2010 ( Memento from May 18, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
10. ↑ http://prezydent2010.pkw.gov.pl/ALL/pliki/DOKUMENTY/komunikaty/ObwieszczeniePOL.pdf
11. ↑ Start of the investigation and investigation. tvn24, August 6, 2011, accessed August 6, 2011 . 
12. ↑ Gazeta.pl, Pogrzeb Andrzeja Leppera. Salwa honorowa i tysiące żałobników , August 11, 2011  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as broken. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
13. ↑ Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzecznik MSZ Białorusi: Lepper - bezkompromisowy obrońca interesów prostych ludzi , August 6, 2011
14. ↑ Marcin Kącki: Praca za seks w Samoobronie. Gazeta Wyborcza , December 6, 2006, accessed February 23, 2007 (Polish). 
15. ^ Imprisonment for Polish scandal politicians.
16. ↑ Lepper odebrał w Moskwie doctorate honoris causa. (No longer available online.) Gazeta Wyborcza , February 12, 2007, archived from the original on February 21, 2007 ; Retrieved February 23, 2007 (Polish). 
17. ↑ Obwieszczenie Państwowej Komisji Wyborczej z dnia 7 listopada 1995 r. o wynikach głosowania i wyniku wyborów Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, zarządzonych na dzień 5 listopada 1995 r. In: Dziennik Ustaw, sejm.gov.pl. November 7, 1995, accessed January 8, 2013 (Polish).  
18. ↑ Obwieszczenie Państwowej Komisji Wyborczej z dnia 9 października 2000 r. o wynikach głosowania i wyniku wyborów Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, zarządzonych na dzień 8 października 2000 r. In: Dziennik Ustaw, sejm.gov.pl. October 9, 2000, accessed January 8, 2013 (Polish).  
19. ↑ Obwieszczenie Państwowej Komisji Wyborczej z dnia 10 października 2005 r. o wynikach głosowania i wyniku wyborów Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, zarządzonych na dzień 9 października 2005 r. In: Dziennik Ustaw, sejm.gov.pl. October 10, 2005, accessed January 8, 2013 (Polish).  
20. ↑ Obwieszczenie Państwowej Komisji Wyborczej z dnia 21 czerwca 2010 r. o wynikach głosowania i wyniku wyborów Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, zarządzonych na dzień 20 czerwca 2010 r. (PDF; 111 kB) In: pkw.gov.pl. June 21, 2010, accessed January 8, 2013 (Polish).