Marek Belka (pronounce: 
['marεk 'bεlka]) (b. January 9, 1952 in Łódź) is a Polish professor of Economics, designated Prime Minister of Poland by President Aleksander Kwaśniewski on March 29, 2004 and sworn into office the next May 2. He failed to receive the required parliamentary support on May 14, but on June 11 he was designated again. On June 24 he finally managed to receive enough support in the Sejm — the Lower House of Polish Parliament — winning a vote of confidence by a majority of 235 votes to 215.
Belka graduated from the Socio-Economic Department of the University of Łódź in 1972 and later studied on scholarships at Columbia University, University of Chicago and London School of Economics. He became a professor in 1994. From 1990 until 1996 he worked as consultant for the Polish Ministry of Finance and the World Bank. He served as deputy prime minister and minister of finance in 1997 and 2001-2002; and as an economic consultant of the president of Poland in the meantime. In 2003 he was responsible for economic policy in the interim coalition administration of Iraq. In 2005 he candidated for the post of OECD Secretary General, but failed to José Ángel Gurría
Belka joined the new liberal Democratic Party in May 2005, but was not chosen as an MP.
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