Lech Kaczynski stood alone in opposing plans to hold a “European day against the death penalty"; said "homosexuality would destroy the human race"

Kaczynski’s conservative views and forthright comments made waves in other spheres too, and he occasionally clashed with E.U. partners over what some Poles saw as attempts to foist liberal “European values” on the predominantly Roman Catholic country.

In 2007 Poland angered its European partners when it stood alone in opposing plans to hold a symbolic “European day against the death penalty,” denying the 27-member union the consensus it needed to go ahead with the event.

Warsaw argued that Europe should instead mark a “right to life” day, with abortion and euthanasia on the agenda along with capital punishment.

When Poland had earlier gone through the E.U. accession process it ratified a protocol to the European Charter on Human Rights declaring that “the death penalty shall be abolished,” but Lech Kaczynski (pictured) argued that giving up the death penalty would give the criminal relative advantage over the victim. He predicted that the E.U., in time, would come to realize that capital punishment was justified in the case of murder.

Even before he became president, Kaczynski was upsetting liberal interests.

"Normality Parade"

As mayor of Warsaw in 2005, he refused to issue a permit for a homosexual rights parade, but when a pro-family conservative group applied for a permit for a “normality parade,” he gave the green light.

The stance drew strong protests from the International Lesbian and Gay Association and other advocacy groups, and later brought a rebuke from the European Court of Human Rights, which said the decision to ban the first event discriminated against sexual minorities and violated the right to assembly.

Lech Kaczynski and his twin brother Jarosław Kaczyński are major figures in right wing, homophobic Polish politics. Jaroslaw was until recently the prime minister of Poland. Lech had previously been the Mayor of Warsaw and reached international notoriety because of repeatedly banning gay pride marches from taking place in the city.

Kaczynski was accused of homophobia when in 2007 as President he was challenged over this decision, and said: "If that kind of approach to sexual life were to be promoted on a grand scale, the human race would disappear."

Whilst on a visit to Britain, The President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński has spoken out against "gay culture," warning that it may cause the death of heterosexuality within Europe.

Quizzed on his stance on gay rights by Pink News reporter Kirsty Wark, Mr Kaczyński said: "I haven't changed my position at all." Adding: "There always have been and always will be homosexuals in Poland, they forge careers for themselves, they are active in society."

Controversially, he went on to say: "That's one thing, but as for what's called 'gay culture', it can never be seen as an alternative to heterosexual culture.

"If a 'gay culture' were to be an accepted alternative it could mean that especially here in Europe, our heterosexual culture would disappear."

When he was Mayor of Warsaw, he, refused to issue a permit "for a Gay Pride parade. A short while later he issued a permit for a normality parade," which was denounced by the International Lesbian and Gay Association as a "demonstration whose main objective was an incitement to hate and intolerance toward LGBT people."

Sources: CNSNews.com, PinkNews, November 12, 2010