BIO

Born on February 23, 1963, in Bydgoszcz.

A graduate of the I Liceum Ogólnokształcącego in Bydgoszcz and the University of Oxford.

War correspondent in Afghanistan and Angola (1986-1989). From 2002 to 2005, a resident member of the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, and also the executive director of the New Atlantic Initiative.

Minister of Defense from 2005 to 2007, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2007 to 2014, and Speaker of the Sejm (2014-2015). From 2019 to 2023, a Member of the European Parliament, where he was a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Security and Defense. Chairs the Delegation for Relations with the United States.

Lecturer (Senior Fellow) at the Center for European Studies at Harvard University.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he initiated the Eastern Partnership of the EU with Carl Bildt. Originator of the creation of the European Democracy Fund and the Solidarity Prize.

In 2014, he led a EU mission to Kiev, preventing bloodshed on the Maidan.

Chosen as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine „for speaking the truth, even when it’s not diplomatic.”

Author of books: „Prochy świętych – podróż do Heratu w czas wojny” (The Ashes of the Saints – A Journey to Herat in Wartime), „Full Circle: A Homecoming to Free Poland,” „The Polish House – an Intimate History of Poland,” „Strefa zdekomunizowana – wywiad rzeka” (Decommunized Zone – an Interview River), „Polska może być lepsza. Kulisy polskiej dyplomacji” (Poland Can Be Better: Behind the Scenes of Polish Diplomacy), and „Polska. Stan Państwa” (Poland. State of the Nation).

Husband of writer and journalist Anne Applebaum, father of two sons. Passionate about history.