Grzegorz Napieralski

Grzegorz Bernard Napieralski (pronounced ; born March 18, 1974) is a Polish left-wing politician. He is an MP (member of the Sejm) and was chairman of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) from 2008 to 2011. Education and political career Napieralski was born in Szczecin in 1974. After graduating from mechanics school in Szczecin, Napieralski studied Political Science at the University of Szczecin, obtaining his master's degree in 2000. From 1995 to 1999 he was the secretary of Szczecin division of Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland, which later became the Democratic Left Alliance. In 2002 he became the aide to the Voivode in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. In 2004, he was elected to Sejm, taking the place of Bogusław Liberadzki, who became a member of the European Parliament. Napieralski was subsequently elected again in 2005, 2007 and 2011. In 2004 Napieralski became the vice-chairman of the SLD and a year later its secretary general. On May 31, 2008, he was chosen the new chairman of the Democratic Left Alliance, defeating Wojciech Olejniczak. From 2009 to 2011 he was also chairman of the Lewica parliamentary fraction. On April 22, 2010, the Democratic Left Alliance chose Napieralski to replace Jerzy Szmajdziński, who had died in a plane crash, as its candidate in the upcoming presidential election. Napieralski finished third, receiving 13.68% of the votes, and did not advance to the second round of the election.