Piotr Farfał
Encyclopedia
Piotr Grzegorz Farfał is a Polish
rightwing Politician of the League of Polish Families
and former President of the Polish national TV network TVP
.
and at the College of Banking in Wrocław. He was active in the nationalist All-Polish Youth
and the National Revival of Poland. As a student he wrote for the right-wing newspapers "Front" and "Szczerbiec" (The Sword). However, when the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza
described him as a "former neo-Nazi", Farfał sued, only to have his lawsuit thrown out by a local court.
In May 2006 Farfał became a supervisory board member and vice-president of the state-run TV network TVP
, and was appointed president in January 2009. After assuming office he cancelled a contract financing the biopic The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
, on the life of Irena Sendler
who had helped save thousands of Jewish children during the Holocaust. In protest the French-German TV network Arte
suspended cooperation with TVP, considering Farfał's views "incompatible with Arte’s philosophy based on intercultural exchange", and stating that "the party that TVP's chairman is presently connected with does not share European values."
A number of Polish public media figures, including film directors Agnieszka Holland
and Andrzej Wajda
, subsequently appealed to the public to boycott TVP on Polish Constitution day
, 3 May 2009.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
rightwing Politician of the League of Polish Families
League of Polish Families
The League of Polish Families is a right-wing political party in Poland. It was represented in the Polish parliament, forming part of the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński, until the latter dissolved in September 2007....
and former President of the Polish national TV network TVP
Telewizja Polska
Telewizja Polska Spółka Akcyjna is Poland's public broadcasting corporation...
.
Biography
Farfał studied law at the University of SzczecinUniversity of Szczecin
The University of Szczecin is a public university in Szczecin, western Poland. It is the biggest university in West Pomerania, with 33,267 students and a staff of nearly 1,200...
and at the College of Banking in Wrocław. He was active in the nationalist All-Polish Youth
All-Polish Youth
The All-Polish Youth is a Polish nationalist youth group, formerly affiliated with the League of Polish Families, with a Catholic-National philosophy. Its agenda declares that its aim is to raise Polish youth in a Catholic and patriotic spirit....
and the National Revival of Poland. As a student he wrote for the right-wing newspapers "Front" and "Szczerbiec" (The Sword). However, when the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza
Gazeta Wyborcza
Gazeta Wyborcza is a leading Polish newspaper. It covers the gamut of political, international and general news. Like all the Polish newspapers, it is printed on compact-sized paper, and is published by the multimedia corporation Agora SA...
described him as a "former neo-Nazi", Farfał sued, only to have his lawsuit thrown out by a local court.
In May 2006 Farfał became a supervisory board member and vice-president of the state-run TV network TVP
Telewizja Polska
Telewizja Polska Spółka Akcyjna is Poland's public broadcasting corporation...
, and was appointed president in January 2009. After assuming office he cancelled a contract financing the biopic The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler is a 2009 television film directed by John Kent Harrison. The film is a co-production between United States and Poland companies...
, on the life of Irena Sendler
Irena Sendler
Irena Sendler was a Polish Catholic social worker who served in the Polish Underground and the Żegota resistance organization in German-occupied Warsaw during World War II...
who had helped save thousands of Jewish children during the Holocaust. In protest the French-German TV network Arte
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
suspended cooperation with TVP, considering Farfał's views "incompatible with Arte’s philosophy based on intercultural exchange", and stating that "the party that TVP's chairman is presently connected with does not share European values."
A number of Polish public media figures, including film directors Agnieszka Holland
Agnieszka Holland
Agnieszka Holland is a Polish film and TV director and screenwriter. Best recognized for her highly political contributions to Polish cinema, Holland is one of Poland's most prominent filmmakers.-Personal life:...
and Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
, subsequently appealed to the public to boycott TVP on Polish Constitution day
Constitution of May 3, 1791
The Constitution of May 3, 1791 was adopted as a "Government Act" on that date by the Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Historian Norman Davies calls it "the first constitution of its type in Europe"; other scholars also refer to it as the world's second oldest constitution...
, 3 May 2009.