Robert Biedroń

Biedroń was born on 13 April 1976 in Rymanów, in Podkarpackie Voivodeship. He grew up in Krosno.

Biedroń completed his secondary education in Ustrzyki Dolne. He received a bachelor in Political Science at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (2000). He received a master's degree in the same field in 2003. He is also a graduate of the School of Political and Social Leaders and the School of Human Rights at the Helsinki Human Rights Foundation.

Aside from his native Polish, Biedroń speaks English, French, Russian, Esperanto and Italian.

Biedroń has co-operated with Polish and international LGBT rights organizations for many years. Following his studies, he travelled to London and joined the British NGO OutRage!.

Biedroń participated in the first Gay Pride ever organized in Poland on 1 May 2001. In September 2001, he co-founded the Polish Campaign Against Homophobia (Kampania Przeciw Homofobii).

Biedroń's commitment to LGBT rights has been recognized several times: he received, for instance, the "Rainbow Laurels" in 2003 and was named "Rainbow Man" in 2004.

Faithful to Your Movement's values, to social liberalism, secularism and a Europhile vision of the EU; he advocates for a separation of church and state in practice and not just in words, for the removal of catechism classes from public schools, he supports feminism (notably the right to abortion for all women), same-sex marriages in Poland, free access to contraception and sexual education.[4]

Biedroń founded the Institute for Democratic Thought (Instytut Myśli Demokratycznej), a progressive think-tank which conducted a program entitled Scenarios for Poland. The Institute analysed the possible evolutions of the country in the next 20 years and formulated policy recommendations. Robert Biedroń has also built the Progressive Cities' network – a platform of cities' cooperation and good practice exchange aimed at supporting local, progressive politics based on participatory democracy, transparency and an open local community.

Biedroń is the author of several books, notably a handbook on the functioning of a democracy for children Turn Democracy On (Włącz Demokrację), his autobiography Against the current (Pod prąd) and a book entitled New Chapter (Nowy rozdział) which contains his political reflections, published a few months before the launch of his political party.

Robert Biedroń during the Spring party election convention, 2019

On 4 September 2018, Biedroń launched what he termed a "pro-democratic" political movement aimed at challenging the ruling Law and Justice party. He then launched the "Brainstormings with Biedroń",[10] a series of events aimed at discussing about the future of Poland. Each "Brainstorming" was conducted by Biedroń and attracted hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people.

In December, he announced the first goals of his yet unnamed party: shutting down all coal mines in Poland by 2035, improving the health care system and ending state subsidies to the church.

In February 2019, Biedroń founded a new political party called Spring (Polish: Wiosna), He intends to build an alternative to the conservative Law and Justice vs. liberal Civic Platform political duopoly. Spring won 6,1% of the votes in the European elections and Robert Biedroń was elected a Member of the European Parliament on his party's list on 26 May 2019.[2]

Before the parliamentary election in October 2019, he co-founded The Left (Lewica), a political alliance composed of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Spring and the Left Together (Lewica Razem). He is one of The Left's three leaders. In January 2020 Robert Biedron was chosen by this alliance as the candidate or the left for the 2020 présidential election.[11] The election was planned for 10 May 2020, but was postponed.

After the Supreme Court of Poland ruled in 2020 that abortions in cases of foetal defects are unconstitutional, Biedroń called on the European Commission to "widen the scope" of Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union — which at present is limited to concerns over the judiciary — to women's rights.[20]

Biedroń's life partner is Krzysztof Śmiszek, member of the Sejm, doctor of law, activist in the Campaign Against Homophobia and board chairman of the Polish Society of Anti-Discrimination Law.[21] On 27 September 2023 they married in an informal, non-legally binding ceremony,[22] as Poland does not legally recognize same-sex marriage.

He is an atheist.[23]

Biedroń is the subject of a documentary by Paul Szynol called Biedroń: Unfinished.[24] The film was cut as a short because Biedroń backed out of the project for fear that it would hurt him politically.

The title of 'Rainbow Man' (2004) [25]

Distinction in the ranking of the 10 best MPs of the weekly magazine Polityka conducted among Polish parliamentary journalists for diligence, culture and contribution to the work of the Justice Committee [26]

Radio Tok FM's Anna Laszuk Award (2015). [27]

Women's Congress Diversity Award (2016) [28]

Ranked 8th in the ranking of best city mayors by Newsweek (2016) [29]

Biedroń received the French National Order of Merit (July 20 2016)

13th place in the ranking of the best city mayors by Newsweek (2017) [30]

Special Equality Crown Award presented by the Campaign Against Homophobia (2021) [31]

Alan Turing LGBTIQ+ Awards Premio Especial awarded by the Culture Business Pride festival for fighting for LGBTIQ+ people, their rights and visibility (2022) [32]

The Rainbow Laurel (2000) [33]

The Parliament MEP Award in the Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact category for the contribution and achievements in promoting diversity and inclusion across Europe (June 27 2023)[34]

• (in Polish) Official site

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