Mateusz Morawiecki

Mateusz Jakub Morawiecki (Polish: [maˈtɛuʂ ˈjakup mɔraˈvjɛt͡skʲi] ; born 20 June 1968) is a Polish economist and politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland from 2017 to 2023. A member of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, he previously served in the cabinet of prime minister Beata Szydło as deputy prime minister from 2015 to 2017, Minister of Development from 2015 to 2018 and Minister of Finance from 2016 to 2018. Prior to his political appointment, Morawiecki had an extensive business career.

Born in Wrocław, Morawiecki became heavily engaged in anti-communist movements in his youth. He attended the University of Wrocław and extended his education at the University of Hamburg and University of Basel. He obtained degrees in arts, business administration and advanced studies. From 1996 to 2004, Morawiecki lectured at the Wrocław University of Economics, as well as from 1996 to 1998 at the Wrocław University of Technology. From 1998, Morawiecki worked for Bank Zachodni WBK from the Santander Group, where he was promoted to the position of managing director and eventually chairman.

On 11 December 2017, following prime minister Szydło's resignation, Morawiecki was nominated to succeed her by the chief staff of the Law and Justice party, which he joined in 2016. He led the party to win a second-term in the 2019 Polish parliamentary election. On 27 November 2023, after the United Right had failed to secure majority in the Sejm in the 2023 Polish parliamentary election, Morawiecki became the leader of a caretaker government. On 11 December 2023, Morawiecki lost the vote of confidence from the Sejm, effectively terminating his cabinet's tenure. He remained acting prime minister until 13 December 2023, when his successor and leader of the opposition Donald Tusk was sworn in as prime minister.