Jozef Pinior

JOZEF PINIOR, Member of the European Parliament

Born in 1955

In 1980 – 1989 trade unionist of the NSZZ "Solidarnosc". After the imposing of the Martial Law in Poland a leader of the "Solidarnosc" working in the underground. A leader of "RKS Solidarnosc" of Lower Silesia and a member of the underground national management of the union – Provisional Co-ordination Committee of the NSZZ "Solidarnosc"- and since 1986 public Provisional Board of the NSZZ "Solidarność".

He became famous for saving treat union’s 80 millions zlotys from confiscation by the Security Service a few days before the imposing of the Martial Law in Poland. At that time he performed a duty of financial spokesman for the Union. Wanted after 13th Dec 1981, he lived in hiding. Many times arrested detained and imprisoned for his activity in the independent trade union in the years 1983–1988. He was called a prisoner of conscience by the Amnesty International between May 29, 1984 and August 21, 1984. He was a co-originator of famous, underground Solidarność Radio. From July 1987 Jozef Pinior fulfilled a duty of a spokesman for the polish part of the Polish-Czech “Solidarność”. In this time he took an active part in happenings of the Orange Alternative and he promoted this organization in the independent and foreign media. In 1987 he was one of the co-originators of PPS. He was the vice-president for the Foreign Affairs in the Labour Union in 1998–1999.

From September 2002 the Plenipotentiary of the Governor of the Lower Silesia for the European Referendum. From August 2003 the Plenipotentiary of the Governor of the Lower Silesia for the European Issues.

A lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Social Communication at the Academy of Economy and in the School of Management and Finances in Wroclaw.

Graduate of the Faculty of Law at Wroclaw University (1978), he continued his education in the Postgraduate College of Ethics and History of Religions at Wroclaw University (1980) and the School of the Social Science at the Polish Academy of Science Institute of Philosophy and Sociology in Warsaw (1996). He was a grant holder at the New School University in New York.

After 1989 Józef Pinior was busy doing scientific research and didactic work. His work was concentrated on a comparative analysis of procedures of getting out of the non-democratic regimes in South Europe, Latin America and Middle-East Europe. In 1989, at laboure organizations’ invitation he was conducting research in Brazil and Argentina. In 90’ he was a grant holder at the New School University in New York – his scientific program received the Democracy Fellowship from The Pew Charitable Trusts in the USA. On the basis of his experience in the New School University he worked out a row of lectures concerning contemporary politic systems, foreign affairs and European integration. He took part in many scientific conferences, for example:

· “The workshop on EU Enlargement”, organized by the Labour Party and Westminster Foundation For Democracy in Warsaw, from 11th to 13th of December in 1998. The report titled: The politic in new democracies.

· „The Left after the Communism” in the Polish Economy Society in Warsaw on August 1, 1999. The report titled: Problems of democracy’s consolidation in Middle-East Europe. Józef Pinior often appears in radio and TV, gives interviews. He is an author of many texts and commentaries. He also regularly chairs programs on European Union.

The most important scientific publications:

· "Around political existentialism of Hannah Arendt" in: The Humanities (Nauki Humanistyczne), nr 3/1997, the Academy of Economy in Wroclaw;

· "Getting out of the authoritarianism in South Europe, Latin America and Middle-East Europe " in: Social Science. Research work at the Oscar Lange Academy of Economy in Wroclaw (Nauki Społeczne. Prace naukowe Akademii Ekonomicznej im. Oskara Langego we Wrocławiu), nr 685/1994;

· "Polonia: Crisis de transición" in: El socialismo en el Umbral del Siglo XXI, México, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, X 1991.