Joanna Senyszyn

Polish politician infobox
name=Joanna Senyszyn
years_of_life=born 1949


function=vice-president of SLD, member of Sejm
party=Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej
since=September 25, 2005
utlil=
successor=
predecessor=

Joanna Senyszyn (pronounced|jɔˈanna sɛˈnɨʃɨn, born February 1, 1949 in Gdynia) is a Polish left-wing politician, vice-president of the Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej (SLD) and member of the Sejm (the lower house of the National Assembly of Poland).

Political career

In the 1970s, Senyszyn was a member of the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR), the governing party in the communist People's Republic of Poland. In 1980 she joined Solidarność, of which she continued to be a member until 1995. Later, she joined SLD and was a successful candidate in the 2001 parliamentary election from the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union (SLD-UP) list, becoming a member of the Sejm. She was also a candidate in the European Parliament election in 2004, but did not win a seat. In 2005, she secured herself another Sejm term in the election (getting 11925 votes in district 26 Gdynia) and became a vice-president of her party.

In the media

Joanna Senyszyn is often featured in the media, in no small way thanks to her brash manners, expressive image and distinctive, high-pitched voice. Her public appearances, both in the Sejm and on other occasions, are often marked by the use of provocative language and satire. She is credited with coining the term kaczyzm to describe her political opponents of the Prawo i Sprawiedliwość government. She also raised some controversy (and gained media attention) when she paraphrased the words of the late Pope John Paul II during the so called "Parada Równości", a demonstration promoting LGBT rights in Poland coupled with a gay pride parade.

Senyszyn frequently criticizes Roman Catholic Church in Poland, in her internet blog (www.senyszyn.blog.onet.pl), she called it "impudent, spiritless, rich, unpunished and brazen". In return, bishop Tadeusz Pieronek said that she should be pasturing cattle instead.

Non-political activity

Joanna Senyszyn holds the academic rank of Professor ordinarius (the highest possible in the Polish system) and holds the chair in market research at the University of Gdańsk, where she also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration before being elected to the Sejm.

Joanna Senyszyn is married to Bolesław Senyszyn, a lawyer from Gdynia. According to her Sejm declaration of interest, she drives a 2004 Honda CR-V and a 1996 Volvo 850.

References

*

External links

* [http://www.senyszyn.pl/ Official page]
* [http://senyszyn.blog.onet.pl/ Joanna Senyszyn's blog]
* [http://www.sejm.gov.pl/poslowie/posel5/332.htm Joanna Senyszyn - parliamentary page] - includes declarations of interest, voting record, and transcripts of speeches.