Lech Walesa to address Libertas Convention

[passthedutchie]

I've heard from colleagues in Brussels that Ganloopy's stagiares are already preparing to man the lifeboats (for example, approaches to European bodies for placements, including other political groups) and that there is an expectation that Liebertas will fold up its Brussels tent in June. The problem is, of course, that these young people have done their careers a major dis-service by allowing themsleves to be tainted by association with what is now clearly a bankrupt and morally suspect organisation.

I’m starting to feel sorry for many of those who are/were involved in Libertas. I don’t think all people who joined Libertas necessarily did so out of bad intentions, but rather because they were a bit naïve and malleable. For many of them it must have come as quite a shock when it dawned on them what sort of organization they had joined and that they had been misled by the Libertas leadership.

The same goes for some of the most stubborn Libertas supporters on this forum. In order not to embarrass them any further (or lest they should feel 'personally attacked') I’ll leave out their names. Consider the self-doubt and question dodging in quotes like:

"But even if they are, and I am not saying that they are..."

"Libertas in Germany seem confident..."

"The question's been asked countless times and been asnwered (sic) countless times"

or indeed:

"I have no idea."

Despite the desperate attempts to defend untenable positions, it all looks most like a case of youthful gullibility. We should not judge these people too harshly.

I don’t wish to sound gleeful in any way, but I have to note that the list of countries where Libertas will not be running has grown again. Sorry if this sounds like rubbing it in -because of course that is not my intention-, but according to the latest information the countries where Libertas will not be running are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania, and Slovakia. I expect we can add Hungary and Slovenia to this list in the coming days.

BTW Yes, I am taking the piss - and yes, those quotes are taken out of context. 'Tis the Libertas way...

[setanta]

I’m starting to feel sorry for many of those who are/were involved in Libertas. I don’t think all people who joined Libertas necessarily did so out of bad intentions, but rather because they were a bit naïve and malleable. For many of them it must have come as quite a shock when it dawned on them what sort of organization they had joined and that they had been misled by the Libertas leadership.

You mean by the unelected elite that run that corrupt organisation and that have shown neither transparency nor openness in their dealings with the people of Europe?

[marmurr1916]

One of the Libertas candidates in Poland, [COLOR=#810081]Wojciech Wierzejski[/COLOR]:

W trakcie sprawowania mandatu radnego, eurodeputowanego, a następnie posła, wielokrotnie krytycznie wypowiadał się o osobach orientacji [COLOR=#0000ff]homoseksualnej[/COLOR] i działalności organizacji [COLOR=#0000ff]LGBT[/COLOR]. M.in. w 2004 "ze względów higienicznych" odmówił podania ręki organizatorom [COLOR=#0000ff]Parady Równości[/COLOR]. W tym samym roku opublikował na swojej stronie internetowej "listę gejów i lesbijek"[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][1][/COLOR][/SIZE]. Jego działania i wypowiedzi były krytykowane, m.in. przez [COLOR=#0000ff]Amnesty International[/COLOR] i [COLOR=#0000ff]Human Rights Watch[/COLOR], które oceniały je jako nawołujące do łamania praw człowieka[SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][2][/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][3][/COLOR][/SIZE].

W przedterminowych [COLOR=#0000ff]wyborach parlamentarnych w 2007[/COLOR] bez powodzenia kandydował do Sejmu. 6 marca 2009 przejął obowiązki prezesa Ligi Polskich Rodzin, po rezygnacji [COLOR=#0000ff]Mirosława Orzechowskiego[/COLOR][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][4][/COLOR][/SIZE]. 19 kwietnia tego roku zrezygnował ze wszystkich funkcji w partii. Potem został kandydatem KW [COLOR=#0000ff]Libertas[/COLOR] w [COLOR=#0000ff]wyborach do Parlamentu Europejskiego[/COLOR].

During his term of office as councillor, MEP, and Member of Parliament, he was repeatedly criticized by [...] LGBT organizations. These include in 2004 "for reasons of hygiene" he refused to shake the hands of the organizers of the equality parade. In the same year he published on his website a list of gays and lesbians [1]. His actions and statements were criticized, including by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who evaluated them as calls for human rights violations [2] [3].

In [the last] parliamentary elections in 2007 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Sejm [Polish parliament]. On 6 March 2009, he took over as President of the League of Polish Families, after the resignation of Miroslaw Orzechowski [4]. On 19 April this year, he resigned from all functions in the party. Then he became a Libertas candidate for the elections to the European Parliament.

[1]: [COLOR=#810081]http://miasta.gazeta.pl/warszawa/1,34889,2104433.html[/COLOR]
[2]: [COLOR=#810081]http://www.amnesty.org.pl/fileadmin/user_upload/docs/Polska_Raport_Roczny_AI_2007.doc[/COLOR] (MS Word document)
[3]: [COLOR=#810081]http://www.hrw.org/en/search/apachesolr_search/Poland[/COLOR]
[4]: [COLOR=#810081]http://wiadomosci.wp.pl/kat,1342,title,Miroslaw-O.-z-zarzutami-Wierzejski-p.o.-szefa-LPR,wid,10918448,wiadomosc.html?ticaid=17fe1[/COLOR]

This is what he said when he became President of the LPR:

Pan prezes złożył rezygnację, w związku z czym, ja, zgodnie ze statutem, faktycznie pełnię obowiązki prezesa, ale żadne ciało mnie nie powołało

The President has resigned, and therefore, I, in accordance with the [party] statute, effectively fulfill the responsibilities of the President, but no body has appointed me.

Another unelected leader of a political party.

[marmurr1916]

Another wacky Libertas candidate from Poland, [COLOR=#810081]Anna Sobecka[/COLOR]:

Była autorką pomysłu o dodatkowym opodatkowaniu obywateli nieposiadających dzieci, a także pensji dla matek, które zrezygnowały z pracy na rzecz wychowania dzieci.

She was the author of the idea for an additional tax for citizens without children, as well as salaries for mothers who gave up a job to look after the education of [their] children.

W wyborach parlamentarnych w 2007 po raz czwarty uzyskała mandat poselski. Kandydując z listy Prawa i Sprawiedliwości w okręgu toruńskim, otrzymała 15 180 głosów.

W 2009 została zarejestrowana jako kandydatka partii Libertas Polska do Parlamentu Europejskiego.

In the 2007 parliamentary elections she gained a parliamentary mandate for the fourth time. A candidate for the Prawo i Sprawiedliwość* [Rights and Justice party] in the district of Torun, she received 15,180 votes.

In 2009 she registered as a Libertas Poland candidate for the European Parliament.

*Among the policies of this party is 'przywrócenie kary śmierci' ('the restoration of the death penalty').

So someone elected for PiS, a party which supports the 'restoration of the death penalty', is running as a candidate under the Libertas name.

In addition, she's proposed a tax on citizens without children and wants working women to be paid to give up their jobs and stay at home to look after their kids.

[OMahonyMunster]

New reports say Lech Walesa paid 100k by Ganley to appear in Rome, according to reports confirmed by Libertas Poland

Libertas? Nein Danke! Say NO to Europe's New Right Wing: Lech Walesa recieved 100,000 to appear at Libertas Rome rally

[gordo.sands]

Do they? Have you details on that?

Well lets be honest. There isn't a party more right wing than libertas.