Nelly Rokita
Encyclopedia
Nelli Rokita is a Polish
politician who was elected an MP as a Law and Justice
candidate. Her husband Jan Rokita
was a prominent activist of a Civic Platform
who retreated in September 2007 when Rokita started her political career. She was born in the Soviet Union
in an ethnic German family, lived in Germany
, where she obtained a university degree in Slavic studies. Rokita first visited Poland in the 1980s on a scholarship to the Jagiellonian University
to study the language of political propaganda in the People's Republic of Poland
. There she met Jan Rokita, whom she married on July 26, 1994. He is her second husband. Before their wedding, Rokita converted to Catholicism
, and her future husband became her godfather
. She also has a daughter, Kasia, from her previous marriage.
During her time in Poland, Rokita edited the official party newspaper of the Conservative People's Party (Poland)
. She became a member of the Civic Platform, but withdrew from the party in January 2007, claiming that her husband was marginalized in his own party by Donald Tusk
, and that the liberal-conservative party was becoming increasingly leftist. Rokita briefly served as an advisor to Poland's president Lech Kaczyński
on women's issues. From 2007 to 2011, Nelli Rokita was a member of the Sejm
. She lost the 2011 election to the Polish Senate.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
politician who was elected an MP as a Law and Justice
Law and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
candidate. Her husband Jan Rokita
Jan Rokita
Jan Rokita is a Polish conservative politician, a member of the Sejm, the lower chamber of the Polish parliament. He was chairman of the parliamentary club of Platforma Obywatelska from 2003 to 2005....
was a prominent activist of a Civic Platform
Civic Platform
Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...
who retreated in September 2007 when Rokita started her political career. She was born in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in an ethnic German family, lived in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where she obtained a university degree in Slavic studies. Rokita first visited Poland in the 1980s on a scholarship to the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
to study the language of political propaganda in the People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
. There she met Jan Rokita, whom she married on July 26, 1994. He is her second husband. Before their wedding, Rokita converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, and her future husband became her godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
. She also has a daughter, Kasia, from her previous marriage.
During her time in Poland, Rokita edited the official party newspaper of the Conservative People's Party (Poland)
Conservative People's Party (Poland)
The Conservative People's Party is a political party in Poland.-Leaders:* Artur Balazs - party chairman* Ireneusz Niewiarowski - parliamentary caucus chairman-Members of Polish Parliament :...
. She became a member of the Civic Platform, but withdrew from the party in January 2007, claiming that her husband was marginalized in his own party by Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who has been Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He was a co-founder and is chairman of the Civic Platform party....
, and that the liberal-conservative party was becoming increasingly leftist. Rokita briefly served as an advisor to Poland's president Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
on women's issues. From 2007 to 2011, Nelli Rokita was a member of the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
. She lost the 2011 election to the Polish Senate.