On Thursday 30 October, the NATO Defense College was particularly honoured to host the President of the Republic of Poland, H.E. Bronisław Komorowski.
Upon his arrival, the President and his delegation were warmly welcomed by NDC Commandant MGen Janusz Bojarski (POL F) the Dean, Dr Daria Daniels Skodnik (SVN C) and senior NDC Leaders.
During his morning visit, the President gave a lecture in the Maynard-Thorn Auditorium entitled “Strategic adaptation of NATO to the new security conditions”. He stressed the need for NATO to enhance its level of commitment so as to ensure that capabilities are commensurate with current and future needs, with particular reference to Russia and to the Middle East. The talk was attended by a number of Ambassadors, other distinguished guests, journalists, as well as by SC 125, NRCC 12 and College staff. The lecture was followed by an excellent Q&A period.
Bronisław Komorowski was born in 1952 in Oborniki Śląskie, near Wrocław. He graduated from the Cyprian Norwid Secondary School of General Education No. 24, in Warsaw. He worked in the underground press, as a printer, journalist, distributor and publisher. He defended his MA thesis at the Faculty of History at the University of Warsaw. In 1977 he worked in Zespół Prasy Pax and, in 1980-1981, at the Solidarność Social Research Centre (NSZZ) in the Mazovian Region. From September 1982 he worked as an editor, for the underground magazine “ABC”. During the years of martial law in the 1980s, he taught history at the theological school in Niepokalanów. From 1989 to 1990, he was Director of the Aleksander Hall Office in the Office of the Council of Ministers.
From 1991 to 2010, he was a Member of the Sejm (the national Parliament). He worked in the Commission for Poles Overseas and in the Commission for National Defence, and then in the Commission for Foreign Affairs. From 1997 to 2000 he presided over the Sejm Commission for National Defence. From 2001 he was Deputy Chairman of the Sejm Commission for National Defence and a member of the Sejm Commission for Foreign Affairs. In October 2005 he was appointed Deputy Marshal of the 5th Sejm. In November 2007 he was appointed Marshal of the 6th Sejm.
As a result of the tragic death of President Lech Kaczyński in the Smoleńsk catastrophe on 10 April 2010, Bronisław Komorowski, as Marshal of the Sejm, became Acting President of the Republic of Poland. Three months later, he was elected President and was sworn in before the National Assembly on 6 August 2010.
Watch the lecture of the President on YouTube
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Natalia Valzano and Ms Sharon Orlandini , ITA C)
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN 
