Andrzej Lepper

Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper (13 June 1954 – 5 August 2011) was a Polish politician, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture, and the leader of Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland political party.

For two years (1978–1980) he was a member of the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR), Poland's equivalent of a formal communist party during the Polish People's Republic (PRL; 1947–1989).

Many SO voters lived in small towns and villages with high unemployment rates, and therefore believed that they lost out in the transition to a free market economy after 1989.

However, Lepper was often criticized for not acknowledging the economic growth Poland has experienced since then.

Using strongly populist messages and committing acts of civil disobedience, he managed to gain nationwide publicity and a strong following in the countryside, where he was regarded as a common man.

He also protested against the sale of Polish land to foreigners.

Lepper and SO opposed Poland joining the European Union, but stopped short of running a fully fledged "no" campaign, on account of popular support for Polish membership in the EU.

Lepper's anti-EU stance was based in part on nationalism, but also on the presumed detrimental economic effect that accession would have on Polish agriculture.

Lepper remained a Eurosceptic, but later toned down his position.

During his tenure as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Lepper worked to support Polish agriculture within European structures and on his departure was described by EU officials as pragmatic and professional.

Lepper was one of the few high-profile politicians that consistently opposed Poland's involvement in American global military operations.

He was involved in promoting close relations with the country's eastern neighbours: Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.

Some of his many infamous quotes include "It is impossible to rape a prostitute", or "I see myself as a positive dictator".

Lepper himself appeared to be a restless man, not easily placated and not inclined to settle down as an officeholder, as his participation in Kaczyński's government showed.

In 1992 Lepper formed his own political party, an organisation of economically struggling farmers like himself, naming it Samoobrona (SO).

Lepper organised anti-government demonstrations and other actions, most significantly against the politics of the Suchocka and Buzek governments, both characterised by growing social and socio-economic injustice, especially experienced in the Polish countryside.

He was a candidate in the Polish presidential election in 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010.

Lepper was born in Stowięcino, a tiny hamlet of roughly 200 people.

Formerly a thriving community, it became a place of socio-cultural impoverishment and economic struggle since Poland's transformation into a market-based economy.

During this transition period his farm, just like majority of small businesses in Poland, found itself on a verge of bankruptcy, but survived.

A farmer by trade, Lepper completed all course-work required at the State Agricultural Technical School in Sypniewo, yet did not undertake the final qualifying exam.

He also had no formal higher education, but was presented with several doctor honoris causa awards, including by the University of Kyiv (Ukraine) in recognition of his work, commitment and outreach.

Lepper was married and together with his wife Irena had three children.

As a party leader, he challenged Aleksander Kwaśniewski in the 1995 presidential election, receiving 1.3% of the vote.

In 2000, SO organised campaigns blocking major roads to bring public and mass media attention to the growing impoverishment of Polish agriculture.

Lepper won 3.05% of the vote in the 2000 presidential election.

In the 2001 parliamentary election, Lepper's party entered the lower chamber of the Polish Parliament (Sejm).

Lepper was elected from the Koszalin constituency.

With the votes of the left-wing majority in the Sejm, in 2001 he was elected as Vice-Speaker of the Sejm (Wicemarszałek Sejmu), but after violating time constraints in debates he was dismissed.

Among Lepper and SO's undertakings in parliament were such incidents as the use of their own loudspeakers in the Sejm and claims that Robert Smoktunowicz of the liberal Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) engaged in the gemstone trade with the Taliban.

In May 2001 Lepper was sentenced to sixteen months in prison.

Lepper's party received 11.4% of the vote and 56 seats in the September 2005 parliamentary election, making it the third biggest party in the Sejm.

Andrzej Lepper stood in the October 2005 presidential election as the party's candidate and received 15% of the vote, the third highest result.

He was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development between 5 May 2006 and 22 September 2006, and again from 16 October 2006 to 9 July 2007, in the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński.

Prior to entering politics he was a professional farmer in the village of Zielnowo, Pomerania.

Lepper led the SO party to form a majority coalition with the Law and Justice (PiS) party in May 2006, assuming the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture.

His tenure was abruptly terminated in September 2006, but he was invited to rejoin Jarosław Kaczyński's cabinet on 16 October 2006.

Samoobrona (SO) and Lepper successfully tapped into the disillusion felt by millions of poor citizens who had not benefited from Poland's entry into the European Union.

Lepper was charged with criminal offenses, including assault, blocking roads and dumping grain on railroad tracks in the course of anti-government demonstrations (The New York Times, 2006).

In May 2006 Polish students protested against the coalition government and also mocked Lepper's recent criminal conviction for slander, chanting "Lepper to prison".