Janusz Onyszkiewicz

Janusz Onyszkiewicz (2008)

Janusz Adam Onyszkiewicz (born December 18, 1937 in Lwów ) is a Polish mathematician, mountaineer, politician and Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2004–2007 .

Life

Janusz Onyszkiewicz holds a PhD in Mathematics from Warsaw University . In the 1970s he became a well-known Polish mathematician and mountaineer. Among other things, he succeeded in the first ascent of the 7,946 m high Gasherbrum III in 1975 in the Himalayas . In the 1980s he became a spokesman for the Solidarność trade union and was particularly well known among foreign journalists for his good English . After the state of emergency was declared on December 13, 1981 , Onyszkiewicz was arrested and interned.

After the end of communism Onyszkiewicz became a member of the Sejm . He was a member of parliament in all legislative periods from 1989 to 2001, but for various organizations. Initially he was a member of the Obywatelski Klub Parlamentarny , later the Unia Demokratieyczna and finally the Unia Wolności .

In the spring of 1990 Onyszkiewicz and Bronisław Komorowski were appointed the first civilian vice ministers in the communist-dominated Ministry of Defense . Later Onyszkiewicz himself was appointed Minister of Defense twice: in the cabinet of Hanna Suchocka (1992–1993) and of Jerzy Buzek (1997–2000).

In 1999 he received the Manfred Wörner Medal from the German Federal Ministry of Defense .

On June 13, 2004 Onyszkiewicz was elected as a candidate for the Unia Wolności in the European Parliament and on July 20, 2004 as Vice-President of Parliament. He was also vice-chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defense Policy from 2007 to 2009 .

From 2006 to 2009 Janusz Onyszkiewicz was chairman of the liberal party Partia Demokratyczna .

He is a member of the European Leadership Network .

Web links

• Entry on Janusz Onyszkiewicz in the database of members of the European Parliament