Richard Czarnecki

Ryszard Henryk Czarnecki (born 25 January 1963 as Richard Henry Czarnecki) is a Polish politician and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Poland. He is a member of the Law and Justice, part of the European Conservatives and Reformists.

Prior to 2008, he was a member of the Self-Defense party.

He was part of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, and a substitute for the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and a member of the Delegation for relations with the countries of south-east Europe. Former member of the "Group on South Asia", "South Asia Peace Forum" and "Forum for Balochistan" in the European Parliament.

Education

Master of History, University of Wrocław 1987: Archivist, Archiwum Akt Nowych, Warsaw (1986) 'Solidarność' Archives

Career 1988–1990: journalist with 'The Polish Daily', London editorial secretary 1991: Deputy editor-in-chief 'Wiadomości Dnia' 1991: editor-in-chief 'Dziennik Dolnośląski' (1991), acting director 'NORPOL-PRESS' 1993–1997: Chief Editor for Religious programmes, Polsat TV 2001–2004: Lecturer 1994–1996: Chairman of the Christian-National Union (ZCHN) 2002–2004: Expert 'Self-defence of the Polish Republic' Member in the I and III terms of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Media Chairman of the Parliamentary Sub-committee on Copyright Chairman of the Polish-Italian Parliamentary Group 1991–1993: parliamentary representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Member of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration 1999–2001: Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Liaison with Poles Abroad 2000–2001: Vice-Chairman of the Committee on European Law 1991–2001: representative of the Polish Sejm (parliament) in the Parliamentary Assembly of the West European Union 1993: Deputy Minister of Culture 1997–1999: Minister for European Integration 1997–1998: Head of the Committee on European Integration 1998–1999: Minister – member of the Cabinet

In 2009 European Parliament election he is a candidate of Law and Justice from Kuyavian-Pomeranian constituency.

Confrontations with Róża Thun Statement on Róża Thun's full name On 26 April 2009 – less than two months before the European elections – Czarnecki wrote a blog entry, describing the "troubles" of Róża Thun, a Polish politician and an Austrian Countess-consort, with the Polish National Electoral Commission. According to Czarnecki, the Civic Platform intended to register her candidacy under the name of Róża Thun,

On 20 May 2009, it was revealed that Czarnecki himself would appear on the ballot sheets not under his assumed Polish name of Ryszard Henryk, but as Richard Henry, since he was born in the United Kingdom. Czarnecki stated that his situation is different, as he didn't choose his names, while Thun chose her surname by marrying her husband. Consequently, at the request of the leaders of four European Parliament factions, on 7 February 2018 by secret ballot he was dismissed from the post of vice-president of the European Parliament for "serious breaches" of the Parliament's Rules (447 MEPs voted for his dismissal, 196 against, and 30 abstained). This was the first time in the history a vice-president of the European Parliament has been dismissed.

The case was reported in international media. In June 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed Ryszard Czarnecki's complaint about the dismissal.

Róża Thun considered Czarnecki's statement humiliating. In August 2019, the District Court in Warsaw ruled that Czarnecki, by comparing Róża Thun to Nazi collaborators, violated her good name, and therefore ordered him to publish an apology to the MEP on the portal that published the original interview, as well as on his own blog, within 14 days from the judgment validation. The court also ordered Czarnecki a payment for the benefit of the two organizations mentioned, of 15 thousand zlotys each. Czarnecki announced an appeal against the sentence. ordering Czarnecki to apologize for an “inappropriate and deeply hurtful” comparison, which was unlawful, and to pay the sum ordered in the first instance for the benefit of the two organizations. The court indicated that the defendant exceeded the limits of acceptable criticism and abused the freedom of speech.

Involvement in C.H. scandal In September 2024, Czarnecki and his wife Emilia Hermaszewska were suspected of corruption, allegedly receiving 92,000 Złoty ($23,000) from Collegium Humanum – Warsaw Management University via fake employment of Hermaszewska at C.H. in return for using his political influence to help the university open branches abroad, particularly in Uzbekistan. Czarnecki was a professor honoris causa of C.H.