Bronisław Geremek

Bronisław Geremek vel Lewartow is a Professor of history and a Politician Polish, born with Warsaw on March 6th, 1932.

Biography

Of 1950 with 1968, he was member of the Polish Communist party to the capacity, the working Parti unified Polish. He studies in France in 1956-57, with the École of the High Studies. At the end of 1962, it takes the direction of the Center of Polish civilization which has just been created with the Sorbonne, that it will preserve until in 1965. In these years it joined the current says revisionist of the French Communist party.

At the time convinced Marxist, it takes however its distances with the Communist parties when the Soviet tanks put an end to the Printemps of Prague. From 1965 to 1980, he teaches with the Université of Warsaw. He joined the movement Solidarność in the the Eighties. He incarnates self-management collectivism there antistalinien. He becomes personal adviser of Lech Wałęsa.

In 1989, with the collapse of the Communist regimes of Central Europe, it becomes appointed at the Polish Parliament (Sejm and Foreign Minister of 1997 with 2000 and, in parallel, president of the Organization for safety and the co-operation in Europe, in 1998. It is European Député since the July 20th 2004.

After being themselves presented to the European elections of June 2004 under the colors of its party, the Union of freedoms (Poland) (UW), and being elected, it presents its candidature for the position of president of the the European Parliament. Supported by the Liberal and the Green for its emblematic range, its candidature disturbed the right-hand side and the left of the Parliament. Finally on July 20th, 2004, it is the Socialist Josep Borrell who was elected with 388 votes, Geremek obtained 208 votes (whereas the ADLE counts only 88 members and the Greens which supported it 42 deputies).

Its political activities do not prevent it from exerting a big role within the Collège of Europe of Bruges and Natolin: the Polish campus, created in 1993 in an old castle close to Warsaw, on the model of that of Bruges which prepares students at the end of studies, different nationalities, with the European careers. It directs a pulpit of European Civilization there.

It obtained the Charlemagne International prize of Aachen.

According to the list stopped at November 11th, 2003, he is member of the scientific Committee of orientation of the association founded by Michel Rocard and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, On the left in Europe .

Since 2004, he is vice-president of the Board of trustees of the Fondation for the political innovation.

In 2006, it succeeds the professor Henri Rieben like chair Fondation Jean-Monnet for Europe. For this reason, it governs regular demonstrations with the seat of foundation with Lausanne, the such handing-over of the gold medal to the former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, on January 25th, 2007.

In April 2007, he refuses to conform to the law of the lustration, imposing with the public personalities to declare his possible old activities with the communist secret police. It is consequently threatened to be deposed of its mandate of European Député. Bronisław Geremek had however voted itself a similar law which dated April 11th, 1997 (under the government of center-left of Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz) and even had signed its declaration in 2002 (obligatory every 5 years), specifying that he had not collaborated with the secret services. At the time when it came to study then to work in France, the Polish services required Polish nationals legally leaving the territory which they collaborate with the secret services, but it is possible that this collaboration was never effective.

The position of refusal of Bronisław Geremek against the news Loi of lustration relates to the procedure which utilizes an institute independent agent of the files of the secret police, instead of resting on supposed more usual legal procedures to better guarantee individual freedoms and the rights of defense. Many personalities and European political movements gave their support for Bronisław Geremek. But certain members, like the British Daniel Hannan, suspect it of having wanted instrumentaliser the situation to assemble the Parliament against the coalition of right-hand side to the capacity.

May 11th, 2007, the Constitutional court of Poland rejected the major part of this new law, and in particular the clause which would have obliged nearly 700.000 people to sign declarations certifying that they had never collaborated with the secret services of the old mode.

Europe of the Atlantic in the Ural (quotation)

“ It is very important “to think Europe” without being concerned with geographical borders. While seeking on the contrary to define Europe as an opened continent, whose principal feature is the respect of freedom. The respect of the individual - human rights - and also the respect of the market economy. And does everything an opened unit, i.e. people, a country, a company can aspire to adhere to Europe to condition of precisely accepting this European definition and to carry it out. I think in particular of Russia. Why separate Russia from Europe? In fact, I am rather pessimistic, because I think that structures of long life will separate a long time Russia from Europe. But, at the 19th century, the opening towards Europe had an major importance for the internal evolution of Russia of the time. It was a projection towards the Occident. Then why not to introduce the criterion defined now higher? There are in Russia those which will want to open towards Europe of freedoms - social, political, economic - and those which will not want it. But how this choice remains open! ”

Georges Duby Bronislaw Geremek common Passions Discussions with Philippe Sainteny, Threshold

Bibilography

the Marginal Parisian ones in XIème and XVème century , Flammarion (1976)
the Bracket and pity. Europe of the poor, the Middle Ages at our days , Galimmard (1987)
wire of Caïn. The image of the poor and the vagrants in the European literature , Flammarion (1991)
common Passions , Threshold (1992, ISBN 2-02-013410-1)
Glances on France , collective work, Threshold (1992, ISBN 978-2-02-057273-6)

References

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