A Solidarity activist from the earliest days of its existence, Poland's Prime Minister, Jerzy Buzek, is a chemical engineer by profession and a Lutheran by conviction. His nomination last year as Prime Minister, from relative obscurity, was a surprise although many observers now pay tribute to his skills as a conciliator in holding together a government of many parties.

Buzek was born in Smilowice on July 3rd, 1940, and did his professional training in Silesia Polytechnic and later in the Polish Academy of Science at Gliwice.

Having worked to set up underground Solidarity networks in Silesia, he went on to become part of the regional and national leaderships and presided over four of the union's congresses. He was to co-author the union's economic programme for the Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS) whose 36 parties make up the main ingredient of the coalition government.

He was nominated for the Prime Minister's job after the elections last year by the leader of Solidarity, Marian Krzaklewski. The architect of the AWS coalition, Krzaklewski had been expected to seek the job himself but decided instead to stand aside, it is suggested, to nurture his presidential ambitions. Buzek's wife, Dr Ludgarda Buzek, works at the Institute of Chemical Engineering at the Polish Academy of Science, and his daughter, Agata, is a student of drama. His interests are listed as poetry, theatre, horseriding and tennis and he is a keen sailor.