born April 18, 1927, Płock, Pol.
Polish politician.
After studying law, he cofounded and edited the independent Catholic monthly Wiȩź (1958–81). A principal adviser to the Solidarity labour movement, he was appointed its newspaper editor (1981) by Lech Wałesa . After the 1989 national elections, he was appointed prime minister of a coalition government of Solidarity and communist members. He undertook radical economic reforms to develop a free-market economy, which helped stabilize Poland's consumer-goods market and increased exports but caused high unemployment. He lost his bid for president in 1990 and was replaced as prime minister in 1991.