Janusz Korwin-Mikke

Janusz Ryszard Korwin-Mikke
Member of Sejm
In office 25 November 1991 – 31 May 1993
Personal details
Born	27 October 1942 (1942-10-27) (age 69) Warszawa, Poland
Political party	Congress of the New Right
Other political affiliations	Democratic Party (1962-82) Real Politics Union (1987-2009) Freedom and Lawfulness (2009-11)
Spouse(s)	Ewa Mieczkowska Małgorzata Szmit

During the 2000 Presidential Campaign in Poland

Janusz Ryszard Korwin-Mikke (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjanuʂ ˈkɔrvʲin ˈmʲikkɛ], born 27 October 1942 in Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish conservative liberal political commentator and politician. He is the leader of the Congress of the New Right, which was formed in 2011 from Freedom and Lawfulness, which he led from its formation in 2009, and the Real Politics Union, which he led from 1990–97 and 1999–03.

Life

Janusz Ryszard Korwin-Mikke studied at the Faculty of Mathematics and (simultaneously) Faculty of Philosophy of the Warsaw University. In 1965 he was detained by the communist authorities, while studying psychology, law and sociology. In 1968 he was again arrested and relegated from the university for his participation in students' protests. He passed master's examination without attending a course (philosophy).

In years 1969–74 he was a researcher in the Institute of Motor Transport (Instytut Transportu Samochodowego), and then at the Warsaw University. Political commentator. In 1978 he established "Liberal Publishing House" (Oficyna Liberałów), an underground publishing house.

From 1962 until 1982 he was a member of the Democratic Party (Stronnictwo Demokratyczne), a puppet party subordinate to the communist authorities. In August 1980 he supported the political strike of the Szczecin Shipyard workers, and later he was an adviser of NSZZ Rzemieślników Indywidualnych "Solidarność" (The Independent Craftsmen's Union). After the imposition of martial law he was interned but later released. In 1987 he was elected the chairman of a liberal-conservative political party called Ruch Polityki Realnej (The Real Politics Movement), which in 1989 changed its name to Unia Polityki Realnej (UPR, The Real Politics Union). In 1990 he established a new weekly Najwyższy Czas! ("The Time is Now!"). Lech Wałęsa appointed him to become a member of Solidarity's advisory body - Komitet Obywatelski (The Civic Committee).

Korwin-Mikke was a Member of Parliament during the first term of Sejm (Polish Parliament) of the Third Republic of Poland. Originator of the vetting resolution. He was a candidate for the UPR in the Polish Presidential Election of 1995, obtaining 2.4% of the vote. He was also candidate in 2000 when he got 1.43% of the vote. In the senate by-election in Wrocław in April 2004 he got 18% votes, but finally did not receive the seat. In the presidential elections of 2005 he obtained 1.4% of the vote.

Janusz Korwin-Mikke's economic views are radically liberal, in the classical sense of the word; in the U.S. his views would be best described as libertarian conservative. He frequently refers to such figures as Adam Smith, Frédéric Bastiat, Milton Friedman or Ayn Rand.

Politically, he is an advocate of monarchy and a member of the Conservative-Monarchist Club. He is known for his disdain towards democracy.^{[citation needed]}

In 2009 he left UPR and created a new party, Freedom and Lawfulness (Polish: Wolność i Praworządność, WIP).

Korwin-Mikke is a popular public figure in the mass-media and on the internet, mainly due to often unusual or eccentric ways of demonstrating his political stances. For instance, he protested against high taxes in Poland by eating his tax return together with a Polish musician Krzysztof Skiba in front of the Polish revenue service office.

He writes the most popular blog in Poland ^[1].

Janusz Korwin-Mikke has been a national champion in bridge, and a member of the national team.^{[citation needed]} He is also a skilled chess player^{[citation needed]}.

Polish presidential election of 2010

Janusz Korwin-Mikke was a presidential candidate in Polish presidential elections of 2010. On 2 June 2010, an unscientific internet poll conducted by TVN24 news network's website^[2] showed 22% voter support for Korwin-Mikke, effectively placing him at the second spot next to Bronisław Komorowski (with 35% votes) and Jarosław Kaczyński (19% votes), with 431,000 total votes. In most opinion polls, however, his support was around 2-3%.

In the real voting, Korwin-Mikke received 2.48% of votes and didn't get into the second round.

Publications

• Naprawić Polskę? No problem! (Fix Poland? No problem!) 2004
• Podatki - Czyli rzecz o grabieży (Taxes - about robbery) 2004
• Dekadencja (Decadence) 2002
• Ekonomikka (Economikks) 2001
• Rok 2007 (Year 2007) 2001
• Niebezpieczne ubezpieczenia (Dangerous insurances) 2000
• Vademecum ojca (Father's vademecum) 1997
• Wizja parlamentu w nowej konstytucji Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Vision of parliament in new Polish constitution) 1994
• Prowokacja? (Provocation?) 1991
• "Rząd rżnie głupa" - czyli mowy sejmowe (Government playing dumb – Parliament speeches) 1993
• Nie tylko o Żydach (Not Only About Jews) 1991
• Ratujmy państwo (Let Us Save the Country) 1990
• Bez impasu (Without impasse)
• Kto tu dymi? (Who is making smoke here?) 2007
• Rusofoby w odwrocie (Russophobes in retreat) 2009

See also

• Liberalism in Poland

References

1. ^ http://media2.pl/badania/44293-blog-janusza-korwin-mikke-najpopularniejszy-w-internecie.html
2. ^ TVN24 internet poll results

• Sejm website on his first cadency

External links

• Janusz Korwin Mikke's site (Polish)
• Janusz Korwin-Mikke's blog (Polish)
• Janusz Korwin-Mikke's blog (not updated)

Persondata
Name	Korwin-Mikke, Janusz
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	27 October 1942
Place of birth	Warszawa, Poland
Date of death
Place of death