Maciej Giertych

Maciej Marian Giertych (born 24 March 1936 in Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish dendrologist and professor of forest sciences who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2004 to 2009, representing the League of Polish Families (LPR). He is affiliated with the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kórnik, Poland, and holds degrees from Oxford University and a PhD from the University of Toronto. Giertych is known for his scientific criticism of evolutionary theory, notably in a 2006 letter to Nature where he argued that neither creationism nor evolution has been definitively proved.

Giertych pursued a career in population genetics with a focus on forest trees. His academic background includes serving as a researcher at the Institute of Dendrology and lecturing on population genetics at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. In politics, he was a member of the socially conservative League of Polish Families (LPR) and sat with the Independence/Democracy Group in the European Parliament from July 2004 to December 2005 (serving as Chair of its Bureau), before becoming a non-attached member until the end of his term in July 2009. During his tenure, he participated in committees on foreign affairs, the environment, public health and food safety, and human rights, and was involved in delegations for relations with the United States and Japan.

Giertych has been a vocal critic of evolutionary theory, describing his opposition as scientifically based rather than religiously motivated. He has appeared in creationist contexts, including the 2008 film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, where he argued that evolution cannot produce new genetic information. In 2016, he distributed his book Ewolucja, Dewolucja, Nauka (Evolution, Devolution, Science) to Polish secondary school biology teachers, prompting criticism from educators and scientists who described it as biased and lacking empirical support for its claims against evolutionary theory.

Giertych faced controversy during his time as an MEP when he was formally reprimanded by European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering in 2007 for publishing a pamphlet that was condemned as anti-Semitic by the European Jewish Congress and others. The incident led to accusations that the publication contravened European Union values.

Early life and education

Family background

Maciej Marian Giertych was born on 24 March 1936 in Warsaw, Poland.

He is the son of Jędrzej Giertych, a politician, writer, and prominent figure in the pre-war nationalist National Democracy movement (Endecja), known for his collaboration with Roman Dmowski and his role in organizations such as the Obóz Wielkiej Polski and Stronnictwo Narodowe.

Maciej Giertych belongs to a family deeply rooted in Polish nationalist traditions, with his father Jędrzej having been one of the most radical ideologists of the National Democracy movement. Jędrzej Giertych and his wife Maria Łuczkiewicz had nine children, including Maciej and his younger brother Wojciech Giertych, a Dominican priest who serves as Theologian of the Pontifical Household and is a professor at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.**

He is married to Antonina Giertych (née Jachnik).

Giertych is the father of Roman Giertych, who later became a prominent politician and leader in the League of Polish Families (LPR).

Education

Maciej Giertych passed his final secondary school exams in 1954 and subsequently entered Oxford University, where he studied forestry and founded the Polish Students Club during his time there. He earned his BA and MA degrees in forestry from Oxford University in 1958.

From 1958 to 1962, he pursued doctoral studies at the University of Toronto in Canada, where he received his PhD in plant physiology (with a focus on tree physiology).

He later obtained his habilitation degree in forest genetics at the Agricultural University of Poznań in 1970.

Scientific career

Academic degrees and positions

Maciej Giertych joined the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in 1962, shortly after completing his PhD, initially as an adiunkt (assistant professor equivalent), and held various academic roles there—including adiunkt, docent, and professor—until 2001.

In 1970, he received his habilitation (dr hab.) in forest genetics from the Poznań Agricultural Academy (now part of the Poznań University of Life Sciences). That year, he was appointed docent at the Institute of Dendrology.**

Giertych advanced to associate professor (profesor nadzwyczajny) in 1981 and was appointed full professor (profesor zwyczajny) in 1989, both titles held at the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in the field of forest sciences.

From 1976 to 1993, he lectured in population genetics at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

He served as Poland's representative to the International Council of the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) from 1986 to 1995, and earlier chaired an IUFRO Working Party (1967–1979) and Subject Group (1976–1986).

Giertych is the author of over 200 scientific publications on dendrology, tree physiology, and forest genetics.

Research and publications

Maciej Giertych specialized in dendrology, with a focus on tree genetics and tree physiology, particularly the population genetics of forest trees. As a population geneticist, he contributed to research on genetic variation, provenance testing, and developmental processes in coniferous species such as Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies).

His work included analyses of provenance variation in Scots pine from international experiments, examining adaptation and performance across different sites and ages. He also investigated generative development in Scots pine, including physiological differentiation within tree crowns and the influence of factors like grafting.

Giertych edited scientific volumes, such as the book Genetics of Scots Pine in the series Developments in Plant Genetics and Breeding, compiling research on genetic aspects of this key forest species.

He has authored over 200 scientific publications and studies, primarily on forest-related topics. In a 2006 correspondence in Nature, he described himself as a population geneticist who is critical of the theory of evolution on scientific grounds.

Political career

Involvement with the League of Polish Families

Maciej Giertych entered post-communist Polish politics by co-founding the Stronnictwo Narodowe (National Party) in 1989, an organization that aimed to revive the traditions of the pre-war nationalist movement.

In 2001, he and most other members of Stronnictwo Narodowe joined the newly established League of Polish Families (Liga Polskich Rodzin, LPR), a right-wing nationalist and conservative party.

Giertych remained affiliated with the LPR as a member and held several internal leadership roles in the party, including member of its management board (zarząd), head of the political council (rada polityczna), and chairman of the party congress.

His son, Roman Giertych, also became a leading figure in the LPR.

Service in the Sejm (2001–2004)

Maciej Giertych was elected to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland in the parliamentary elections of September 23, 2001, as a candidate of the League of Polish Families (LPR) from electoral district No. 39 (Poznań). He received 10,119 votes in that constituency.

He took his oath of office on October 19, 2001, and joined the LPR parliamentary club. Giertych had no prior parliamentary seniority. During his service in the fourth term of the Sejm (2001–2005), he participated in plenary sessions, with records available of his speeches, interpellations, queries, and voting.

His mandate as a Sejm deputy expired on June 16, 2004, following his election to the European Parliament.

Member of the European Parliament (2004–2009)

Maciej Giertych served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Poland during the institution's 6th parliamentary term, from 20 July 2004 to 13 July 2009. He represented the League of Polish Families (Liga Polskich Rodzin, LPR).

From 20 July 2004 to 14 December 2005, Giertych was affiliated with the Independence/Democracy Group, where he held the position of Chair of the Bureau. From 15 December 2005 until the end of his mandate, he sat as a Non-attached Member.

Giertych was a full member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs for most of his term, serving continuously from July 2004 until July 2009 (with brief interim periods). He acted as a substitute member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety from July 2004 to December 2005 and again from January 2007 to July 2009. In terms of interparliamentary delegations, he was a member of the Delegation for relations with the United States from September 2004 to July 2009 and a substitute member of the Delegation for relations with Japan from November 2004 to December 2005, as well as the Subcommittee on Human Rights from September 2004 to December 2005 and January 2007 to July 2009.

Throughout his tenure, Giertych participated actively in parliamentary proceedings. He delivered speeches in plenary debates on subjects including the International Tropical Timber Agreement 2006, organ donation and transplantation policy at the EU level, and aspects of the death penalty debate. He tabled or co-tabled motions for resolutions on issues such as the rejection of the draft EU general budget for 2006 and the patenting of biotechnological inventions. He submitted parliamentary questions concerning EU funding for the transition of former Eastern bloc countries, human embryonic stem cell research, and aid for farmers affected by frost damage. Additionally, he initiated written declarations on topics such as halting construction of the North European gas pipeline due to environmental risks and calling for the opening of World War II-era archives across countries.

2005 presidential election candidacy

In 2005, Maciej Giertych was the presidential candidate of the League of Polish Families (LPR) for the Polish presidential election held on October 9 and 23. He withdrew his candidacy on October 4, 2005, shortly before the first round of voting.

Giertych cited low support in opinion polls, unequal media treatment, and a desire to facilitate a decisive outcome in the first round as reasons for his withdrawal. He appealed to other candidates with limited prospects to step aside for the benefit of the state.

Contemporary polls indicated his potential vote share was in the low single digits, with the latest surveys estimating around 1–2%. Earlier polls, such as one from CBOS in April 2005, showed him with 2% overall support among likely voters and 4% among those identifying as right-wing.

Giertych did not endorse any other candidate upon withdrawing. LPR leader Roman Giertych stated that the party's supporters would know whom to support independently.

On October 6, 2005, the State Electoral Commission officially removed Maciej Marian Giertych from the list of candidates following his withdrawal of consent to run.

Political views

Economic and domestic policies

Maciej Giertych advocated for state intervention in the economy and protectionist measures to safeguard Polish interests. As a prominent member of the League of Polish Families (LPR), he aligned with the party's positions supporting government aid for small and family-run Polish businesses, tariffs to protect domestic producers, and opposition to foreign capital and competition, which the party blamed for unemployment and economic stagnation.

In his writings, Giertych criticized excessive centralization and overregulation, particularly in the European context, favoring economic approaches guided by moral and ethical principles rooted in Christian values rather than unchecked efficiency or greed.

On domestic social issues, Giertych rejected moral relativism in favor of absolute values based on natural law and Christian ethics. He argued that justice and law must reference transcendent principles, criticizing trends that deny universal values.

Giertych opposed the promotion of homosexuality, distinguishing between tolerance of individuals and rejection of its advocacy. He described homosexual acts as disordered and biologically sterile, attributing the orientation to upbringing rather than genetics, and called for restrictions on "homosexual propaganda," particularly in education and public events involving minors.

Opposition to European integration

Maciej Giertych has consistently opposed European integration, viewing it as a threat to Polish national sovereignty and traditional values. As a leading figure in the League of Polish Families (LPR), he criticized Poland's accession to the European Union, aligning with the party's campaign against the 2003 EU membership referendum. He portrayed the EU as a mechanism for subordination by external powers, particularly Germany and France.

Giertych argued that the European Union is dominated by German interests seeking to establish a "Federal Republic of Europe" and by French influences tied to Masonic organizations, both aiming to control the continent through supranational structures rather than genuine cooperation. He described the process of integration as a revival of historical hegemonic ambitions, suppressed after World War II but reemerging in modern EU frameworks.

He strongly opposed the proposed European Constitution, claiming it would facilitate domination by Germany and France, including through voting mechanisms favoring larger states and the exclusion of references to Christian traditions in its preamble. Giertych viewed the subsequent Treaty of Lisbon as a "planned deception" that preserved the Constitution's essence under different terminology following its rejection in referendums.

In his 2009 publication Quo vadis Europa?, Giertych characterized the EU as a Prussian-inspired project that erodes nation-states by centralizing power in Brussels or devolving it to regions, weakening national identities and sovereignty. He advocated resistance to this model to preserve Christian and Latin European values.

Giertych has publicly stated that Poland should quit the EU to enjoy real independence and prevent the emergence of a federal "superstate." He has also expressed a desire for the EU to disintegrate, while criticizing its bureaucratic centralization and perceived ethical shortcomings.

Foreign policy and historical preferences

Giertych expressed admiration for certain historical leaders whom he viewed as defenders of traditional European values against communism and secular influences. In a speech to the European Parliament on 4 July 2006, during a debate marking the 70th anniversary of General Franco's coup d'état in Spain, he highlighted Francisco Franco, António de Oliveira Salazar, and Éamon de Valera as exemplary figures. He stated that "the presence of figures such as Franco, Salazar or De Valera in European politics ensured that Europe maintained its traditional values," adding that "we lack such statesmen today."

Giertych credited Franco specifically with thwarting the spread of communism to Western Europe through victory in the Spanish Civil War, describing the conflict as a response by "traditional Spain" to attacks on the Church and Catholic values by communist forces. He framed this as part of a broader European struggle to preserve traditional and Catholic elements against secular and socialist trends.

In the same address, Giertych asserted that Nazism in Germany and fascism in Italy also had socialist and atheist roots. He presented this as a counter to historical revisionism that he believed unfairly criticized traditional and Catholic elements while portraying secular and socialist ones favorably.

These views reflect Giertych's preference for historical figures and policies that he associated with anti-communist resistance and the safeguarding of traditional values, including the role of Eastern Europe—particularly Poland's historical resistance to Bolshevik advances—as a barrier against communism's westward expansion.

Creationist views

Critique of evolutionary theory

Maciej Giertych has publicly criticized the theory of evolution from the perspective of his expertise in population genetics, asserting that it lacks scientific support. In a 2006 letter to Nature, he described himself as "a scientist — a population geneticist with a degree from Oxford University and a PhD from the University of Toronto — and I am critical of the theory of evolution as a scientist, with no religious connotation."

Giertych has argued that population genetics offers no evidence for evolution, particularly macroevolution, which he says requires an increase in genetic information. Instead, he contends that observable microevolutionary processes—such as race formation, adaptation to environments, or examples like the peppered moth—result in a reduction of genetic information through natural selection, isolation, and genetic drift, eliminating alleles rather than creating new ones.

He has repeatedly stated that no documented positive mutations exist that generate new genetic functions, organs, or information; mutations are instead negative (deleterious), neutral, or protective of existing functions (as in cases of resistance to herbicides or antibiotics, which he views as defending rather than innovating vital processes). In his experience with tree genetics and mutagenesis experiments in forestry and agriculture, no positive outcomes have arisen that support evolutionary claims.

Giertych has also challenged palaeontological evidence for evolution, highlighting the fossil record's predominance of stasis—species remaining unchanged across geological strata—rather than gradual transitions or "missing links." He has questioned proposed evolutionary sequences, noting their frequent revisions with new discoveries and citing the 1980 Chicago evolution congress where palaeontologists acknowledged stasis as the dominant pattern.

Additionally, he has critiqued the geological assumptions underpinning evolutionary timescales, referencing work suggesting rapid sedimentation under catastrophic conditions rather than uniform slow deposition over millions of years, which he argues undermines the temporal framework required for macroevolution.

In summary, Giertych maintains that evolution lacks empirical support from genetics, palaeontology, and related fields, and that observable processes demonstrate a decline in genetic information rather than the increase needed for evolutionary progression.

Affiliations and publications on creationism

Maciej Giertych is an honorary member of the Daylight Origins Society, a Catholic creationist organization based in the United Kingdom.

He contributed the foreword to the revised edition of Gerard J. Keane's book Creation Rediscovered: Evolution and the Importance of the Origins Debate (TAN Books, 1998), in which he documented his personal transition from accepting evolutionary theory to skepticism about it.

Controversies

2007 pamphlet "Civilisations at war in Europe"

In February 2007, Giertych published a 32-page pamphlet titled Civilisations at War in Europe, which presented his views on race, civilization, and culture. The pamphlet asserted that Jews are biologically different from gentiles and prefer to live separately from surrounding communities, creating their own ghettos. It also included characterizations of Jews as a money-driven group prone to separateness and questionable ethical behavior.

The publication drew widespread condemnation as anti-Semitic and xenophobic from Jewish organizations, European Union officials, and other MEPs. The use of the European Parliament logo on the pamphlet further intensified criticism.

On 14 March 2007, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering formally reprimanded Giertych, describing the pamphlet as a serious breach of fundamental rights and human dignity and containing xenophobic allegations. Pöttering stated that the Parliament dissociated itself from the work and emphasized that it received no institutional funding. The reprimand was the mildest sanction available under Parliament rules.

Statements on Francisco Franco and National Socialism

In a speech delivered to the European Parliament on 4 July 2006, during a debate on 70 years after General Franco's coup d'état in Spain, Giertych expressed admiration for Francisco Franco, crediting him with thwarting a communist assault on Catholic Spain. He stated that "thanks to the Spanish army and Franco the communist attack on Catholic Spain was thwarted," and emphasized that "the presence of such people in European politics as Franco guaranteed the maintenance of traditional values in Europe and we lack such statesmen today." He further lamented that "Christian Europe is losing against atheistic socialists today and this has to change."

Giertych extended his praise to António Salazar and Éamon de Valera, describing them alongside Franco as figures who defended traditional values and ensured their preservation in European politics.

In the same speech, Giertych stated that Nazism in Germany and fascism in Italy also had socialist and atheist roots.

Chronology

Date	Event
24 March 1936	Born in Warsaw, Poland.
Late 1945	Family emigrates from Poland following the communist takeover.
1954	Completes secondary education and enrolls at the University of Oxford.
1959	Earns BA degree from the University of Oxford.
1962	Earns PhD from the University of Toronto for studies on plant physiology.
1962	Returns to Poland and joins the Institute of Dendrology at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kórnik.
1970	Receives habilitation degree in forest genetics from the Agricultural University of Poznań.
1976	Begins teaching position at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.
23 September 2001	Elected to the Sejm (Polish Parliament) as a representative of the League of Polish Families (LPR).
16 June 2004	Elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the LPR.
2005	Announces candidacy for the Polish presidential election but withdraws on 4 October due to low poll support.
2004–2009	Serves as Member of the European Parliament.
2006	Ends active tenure at the Institute of Dendrology (served 1962–2006).
2007	Publishes the pamphlet "Civilisations at war in Europe".