Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz
Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 July 1954 |
| Died | 10 April 2010 (aged 55) |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, politician |
| Known for | Member of the Polish Sejm, Deputy Chairperson of the Democratic Left Alliance, Head of the Presidential Chancellery |
Jolanta Dorota Szymanek-Deresz (pronounced [jɔˈlanta dɔˈrɔta ʂɨˈmanɛɡ ˈdɛrɛʂ]; born 12 July 1954 – died 10 April 2010) was a distinguished Polish attorney and political figure.
Biography
She completed her secondary education at the 21st General Secondary School named after Bolesław Prus located in Łódź. Initially enrolling at the University of Łódź, she transferred to Warsaw after two years to continue her studies. In 1977, she graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw. Following her judicial apprenticeship, she served at the District Court for Warsaw. After passing the bar examination in 1987, she commenced work in a legal practice. Beginning in 1996, she joined an international association specializing in competition law.
Between 1979 and 1990, she was affiliated with the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR). On 3 January 2000, she was appointed Undersecretary of State within the Chancellery of the President of Poland, later advancing on 13 June 2000 to become Head of the Presidential Chancellery. She was reappointed to this role on 23 December 2000 during Aleksander Kwaśniewski’s second term, maintaining the position until 18 October 2005. In recognition of her service, she received the Estonian Order of the White Star, 1st Class, in 2002.
In the parliamentary elections held in 2005, she secured a seat in the Sejm for its fifth term representing the Płock constituency on the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) ticket. She was reelected in 2007 as a candidate from the Left and Democrats coalition, garnering 20,536 votes. From 22 April 2008 onward, she was part of the Left parliamentary club. On 1 June 2008, she assumed the role of Deputy Chairperson of the SLD. Her bid for a seat in the European Parliament in 2009 was unsuccessful.
Tragically, she lost her life on 10 April 2010 in the Smolensk air disaster while traveling to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre. Her interment took place on 19 April 2010 at the Smolensk Quarter within Warsaw’s Powązki Military Cemetery.
Awards and recognition
On 16 April 2010, Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz was honored posthumously with the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland.
In September 2010, the City Council of Płock bestowed upon her the title of Honorary Citizen of the City.
Two commemorative plaques were unveiled on 16 November 2010: one at 27 Stary Rynek in Płock and another at 31 Wyzwolenia Street in Żuromin, both dedicated to her memory. Later, on 4 April 2012, a plaque commemorating four members of the legal profession who perished in the Smolensk tragedy, including Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz, was revealed on the Supreme Bar Council building located at 16 Świętojerska Street in Warsaw.
See also
References
External links
- Official website
- Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz – parliamentary profile – containing declarations of interest, voting records, and speech transcripts.
- 1954 births
- 2010 deaths
- University of Warsaw alumni
- 21st-century Polish judges
- Democratic Left Alliance politicians
- Members of the Polish Sejm 2005–2007
- Members of the Polish Sejm 2007–2011
- Women members of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland
- Victims of the Smolensk air disaster
- Burials at Powązki Military Cemetery
- Commanders with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- 21st-century Polish women politicians
- Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 1st Class
- People from Radomsko County
- 21st-century Polish women lawyers