Ryszard Czarnecki

Richard Henry Czarnecki ([ˈrɨʂart ˈxɛnrɨ t͡ʂarˈnɛt͡ski], born 25 January 1963 pol. Ryszard Henryk Czarnecki) is a Polish politician and 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 is part of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, and is a substitute for the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and a member of the Delegation for relations with the countries of south-east Europe. Member of the "Group on South Asia","South Asia Peace Forum" and "Forum for Balochistan" in the European Parliament.

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

• 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

See also: 2004 European Parliament election in Poland

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

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, but the Commission refused, stating that according to the regulations, all candidates must appear under their full names on the ballot papers. "And so, the voters will see Róża Maria Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein in her full grace", Czarnecki wrote. He further asserted that "a Gräfin with a German-sounding name might do harm to the Civic Platform".

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. Countess Thun retorted her name came out of love, adding "I pity Richard Henry Czarnecki".

In February 2018, the European Parliament dismissed him as one of its vice presidents after he had compared Róża Thun to a Nazi collaborator.