Friday, October 23, 2015

Beata Szydlo: Polish miner's daughter seeks to be PM


By Adam Easton, BBC News, Warsaw

Beata Szydlo of PiS at party rally, 22 Oct 15Image copyrightAP
Image captionBeata Szydlo is seen as a skilful - if less than charismatic - campaigner

Conservative Beata Szydlo is no new rising star of Polish politics but she is tipped to oust a woman rival - Ewa Kopacz - from the prime minister's office.
Polls suggest that the Law and Justice Party (PiS) - Eurosceptic and strong on traditional values - is poised for a comeback in Sunday's general election.
Ms Szydlo, 52, has been a conservative MP for a decade. But she impressed many Poles and her party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, earlier this year by running Andrzej Duda's successful presidential campaign.
A relatively unknown MEP, Mr Duda surprised almost everyone by beating the popular incumbent, Bronislaw Komorowski, in May.
During an energetic campaign, Mr Duda travelled the country, with Mrs Szydlo by his side, meeting and listening to as many Poles as he could. Ms Szydlo's role in his success was recognised when Mr Kaczynski appointed her the party's candidate for prime minister.
"The fresh, moderate face of the Polish right. She is the hard-working, skilful and intelligent woman behind Andrzej Duda's spectacular victory in the presidential race," said Marek Magierowski, President Duda's public diplomacy adviser.

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