In the spotlight: Jacek Piechota
Piechota will take up the reigns of office when the current Economy Minister, Jerzy Hausner, resigns on March 31.
Piechota has already served as Economy Minister in the current SLD government between October 2001 and January 2003. He was demoted to deputy when Hausner was appointed the head of an enlarged Ministry of Economic Affairs and Labor. Despite being just 45 year-old, Piechota is one of the longest serving members of Parliament in Poland. He has spent nearly 20 years in the Sejm - first as a member of the PZPR communist party and then in the ranks of the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (SdRP) and its successor, the SLD. In 1997 he was elected vice-chairman of SLD and since 2000 has been a member of the party's executive.
As Deputy Minister he was behind the government's coal and energy restructuring programs to liberalize the markets in accordance with requirements following Poland's accession last May.
It is quite possible that the government's last weeks in power will also be the Minister's last in the ranks of the SLD. Piechota has not ruled out following Hausner and Belka to the Democratic Party if SLD does not take serious steps to change itself during the party conference in May. M.P.
Piechota has already served as Economy Minister in the current SLD government between October 2001 and January 2003. He was demoted to deputy when Hausner was appointed the head of an enlarged Ministry of Economic Affairs and Labor. Despite being just 45 year-old, Piechota is one of the longest serving members of Parliament in Poland. He has spent nearly 20 years in the Sejm - first as a member of the PZPR communist party and then in the ranks of the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (SdRP) and its successor, the SLD. In 1997 he was elected vice-chairman of SLD and since 2000 has been a member of the party's executive.
As Deputy Minister he was behind the government's coal and energy restructuring programs to liberalize the markets in accordance with requirements following Poland's accession last May.
It is quite possible that the government's last weeks in power will also be the Minister's last in the ranks of the SLD. Piechota has not ruled out following Hausner and Belka to the Democratic Party if SLD does not take serious steps to change itself during the party conference in May. M.P.
