Dr
Marek Henryk Migalski
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
In office
7 June 2009 – 30 June 2014
Constituency11 –Silesian
Personal details
Born (1969-01-14) 14 January 1969
Racibórz, Poland
Political partyPoland Together
ProfessionPolitical scientist
Websitewww.migalski.eu/

Dr Marek Henryk Migalski (born 14 January 1969 in Racibórz) is a Polish politician, Member of the European Parliament, political scientist, and columnist. A member of Poland Comes First (PjN), Migalski was elected to the European Parliament at the 2009 election for Law and Justice (PiS). He never joined the party, and his open criticism of PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński led to his expulsion from the party's group and the creation of the more moderate PjN in late 2010.

Professional career

Migalski taught Polish before studying political science at the University of Silesia, graduating in 1999. In that year, he was appointed deputy director of Euroregion Cieszyn Silesia, while earning his doctorate from the University of Silesia, which he was granted in 2001 for his thesis A Bridge Between East and West: Edvard Beneš – An Attempt to Preserve the Independence of Czechoslovakia in 1945-1948. He taught at the University of Silesia in Katowice, as well as the Humanitas Academy in Sosnowiec.

As a political scientist, Migalski has well known for his conservative views, as well as the accuracy of his predictions.[1] In 2009, he ran for the European Parliament for Law and Justice, in the Silesian constituency. He was elected, winning 112,881 votes. However, he did not become a member of the party,[2] and was seen as a moderate within the group.[3]

Member of the European Parliament

In September 2009, he strongly condemned Roman Polanski, whose charge for statutory rape in the United States divided Poland.[4] With Civic Platform MEP Sławomir Nitras,[5] in January 2010, Migalski co-authored a resolution that would name the Katyn massacre a 'genocide'.[6] In July 2010, he led a boycott of the beer Lech, after the brand was advertised with an allusion to Lech Kaczyński's death.[7]

In August 2010, he came out in criticism of Jarosław Kaczyński, blaming Kaczyński for Law and Justice's poor poll ratings in a five-page open letter.[2] The open letter divided the party, with more moderate, younger figures in the PiS, including Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska and Paweł Poncyljusz, both of whom Migalski mentioned in his letter, siding with Migalski.[3] Migalski was ejected from the party's European Parliament delegation the following week, in a resolution written by Ryszard Legutko and Tomasz Poręba.[8]

The split led to three members of the Sejm – Kluzik-Rostkowska, Poncyljusz, and Elżbieta Jakubiak – being ejected from the party.[9] Together with them and fellow MEPs Michał Kamiński, Adam Bielan, and Paweł Kowal, Migalski formed the more centrist Poland Comes First, which was joined by a total of 17 MPs. He remains a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, to which both Law and Justice and Poland Come First belongs.

He is a member of the Reconciliation of European Histories Group.[10]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Man of the Year". TheNews.pl. Polskie Radio. 5 January 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Polish MEP blasts opposition leader". TheNews.pl. Polskie Radio. 23 August 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  3. 1 2 "MEPs enter battle for soul of Law and Justice party". TheNews.pl. Polskie Radio. 25 August 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  4. ↑ "Poles divided over Polanski arrest". TheNews.pl. Polskie Radio. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  5. ↑ "Katyn a 'genocide'?". TheNews.pl. Polskie Radio. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  6. ↑ "Polish MEPs – 'Rename Katyn Massacre as genocide'". TheNews.pl. Polskie Radio. 4 May 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "Controversial beer advert alludes to presidential death?". TheNews.pl. Polskie Radio. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  8. ↑ "Kaczynski critic expelled from European party delegation". TheNews.pl. Polskie Radio. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  9. ↑ "Law and Justice breakaway politicians form new 'association'". TheNews.pl. Polskie Radio. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  10. ↑ "About Us – Reconciliation of European Histories Group". Reconciliation of European Histories Group. 21 April 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
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