Congress of the New Right

Congress of the New Right
Leader Michał Marusik
Founded 25 March 2011
Merger of Freedom and Lawfulness
Real Politics Union
Headquarters ul. Wilcza 29A lokal 4A,
00-544 Warszawa
Ideology Right-libertarianism[1][2]
Social conservatism[2]
Euroscepticism[1]
Political position Right-wing[3]
European Parliament group Non-Inscrits
Sejm
0 / 460
Senate
0 / 100
European Parliament
2 / 51
Website
nowaprawicajkm.pl
Politics of Poland
Political parties
Elections

The Congress of the New Right (Polish: Kongres Nowej Prawicy, Nowa Prawica – Janusza Korwin-Mikkego, Nowa Prawica or just KNP) is a conservative and economic-libertarian political party in Poland. The party was founded on 25 March 2011 by Janusz Korwin-Mikke, from the merger of the Freedom and Lawfulness (WiP) with several members of the Real Politics Union (UPR). The party assumed the official name Congress of the New Right on 12 May 2011. The KNP is eurosceptic and, according to some experts, holds radical libertarian views on the economy.[1]

History

The political organisation KNP was founded by supporters of Freedom and Lawfulness leader, Janusz Korwin-Mikke, who finished fourth in the 2010 Polish presidential election,[4] receiving a remarkably significant 2.5% votes (over 400,000). Taking advantage of his rising popularity, a group of political activists derived from both the former party of Janusz Korwin-Mikke, the Real Politics Union, and the Freedom and Lawfulness (dissolved three days earlier), came together on 9 October 2010 to form a new party: the "Real Politics Union – Freedom and Lawfulness". The new party took part in the 2010 local Polish elections, represented by commissioner Tomasz Sommer . The committee put forward candidates in thirteen voivodeships. The "Congress of the New Right" equaled the results of its leader in two voivodeships, małopolskie (2.69%) and mazowieckie (2.32%). In terms of overall country-wide votes, the party concluded the election at seventh place.[5] The committee had candidates for the position of mayor in some main cities in Poland in the same 2010 elections. Janusz Korwin-Mikke ended fourth in the mayoral election in Warsaw, gaining 3.90% of the eligible votes. Afterwards, the new party, the Congress of the New Right was founded on 25 March 2011, a day after the "Real Politics Union – Freedom and Lawfulness" had ceased to exist.

Activity

The first meeting of the new party was held on 16 April 2011 in the Palace of Culture and Science. Over 2000 sympathizers attended the meeting, including noted people like Krzysztof Rybiński, Andrzej Sośnierz, Krzysztof Bosak, Romuald Szeremietiew, Stanisław Michalkiewicz or Tomasz Sommer. One month later, "Congress of the New Right" was formally acknowledged on 12 April 2011 as a new name of the party.

The Congress registered an electoral committee under the name "Nowa Prawica - Janusz Korwin Mikke" for the upcoming 2011 parliamentary elections. The National Election Committee ("Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza", PKW) accepted the party in 21 of 41 electoral districts, refusing the Congress to enlist for the rest on the grounds of not delivering a 'list of supporters' on time. The decision was generally received as controversial. The PKW rejected to submit motives of the refusal despite being constitutionally obliged to do so. This move effectively denied the Congress of the New Right access to the Polish Parliament as it effectively had to receive twice the votes of the constitutional threshold of five percent in order to be elected to the Polish Parliament. The party could not put forward candidates in most of the largest cities in Poland, including Warsaw, where Janusz Korwin-Mikke was denied enlistment. Representatives of other parties (UPR, LPR and others) were put on the lists of the Congress of the New Right. In the elections to the Polish Senate the party was allowed to put forward candidates on 10 out of 100 electoral districts (the number of electoral districts differ for the Polish Parliament and the Polish Senate). The elections were disastrous for the party as it received merely 1.06% votes (151 837), a result that placed it at seventh place. Therefore none of the party's candidates were voted into the Senate.

On January 9, 2013 The KNP Youth Section was officially founded. Access is granted to both young adults as well as those who have not reached the age of majority (18).

Ideology

KNP is against interfering with the current election system. It calls for enacting a new liberal-minded constitution, reduction of the size of the Polish Parliament and forming a State Council, which would replace the Parliament as the legislative branch. KNP is also in favor of regional autonomy.[6]

The party's main priorities are lowering taxes (including the abolition of income tax) and reducing the national debt, by cutting down social programs and allowing the economy to flourish[7]

KNP is in favor of decriminalisation of using and producing all drugs.[8]

KNP opposes government-recognized same-sex marriage.[8]

The party also advocates restoration of capital punishment.

Election results

2011 parliamentary election

In the 2011 Parliamentary election the party received 151,837 votes or 1.06% of the total.

2014 European election

In the 2014 European Parliament election the party received 505,586 votes or 7.15% of the total and won 4 seats in the European Parliament. A great majority of the Congress of the New Right voters were young Poles aged 18–24.

Three of the party's MEPs sit as independents (Non-Inscrits), but on 20 October 2014, one KNP MEP, Robert Iwaszkiewicz joined the euroskeptic parliamentary group the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD).[9]

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Leader of Poland’s Euro-sceptic party believes: "Women should not have right to vote."". 7 April 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Aleks Szczerbiak (23 May 2014). "EU election: Polish campaign dominated by Ukraine crisis". Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Finbarr Bermingham (27 May 2014). "EU Elections: Meet the New Right-Wing Powers in Brussels". Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  4. ↑ http://prezydent2010.pkw.gov.pl/PZT1/PL/WYN/W/index.htm
  5. ↑ http://wybory2010.pkw.gov.pl/templates/kbw/doc/kom-sejmik.xls
  6. ↑ http://glosujteraz.pl/partie-polityczne/kongres-nowej-prawicy
  7. ↑ "Obniżenie podatków i legalizacja marihuany. Recepta Korwin-Mikkego na Polskę". Newsweek Polska (in Polish). 31 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://nowaprawicajkm.pl/info/program-wyborczy/program-wyborczy-knp
  9. ↑ "UKIP's alliance in Europe rescued by Polish MEP". BBC News. Retrieved 20 October 2014.