Janusz Ryszard Korwin-Mikke was born in Nazi-occupied Warsaw on October 27, 1942.

He was the only child of Ryszard Mikke and Maria Rosochacka. His father was the
head of an engineering department of the State Aviation Works. After the death
of his mother during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, he was under the care of his g
randmother and later stepmother. He studied at the Faculty of Mathematics and Fa
culty of Philosophy of the Warsaw University. In 1965 he was detained by the com
munist authorities while studying psychology, law, and sociology. In 1968 like o
ther members he was again arrested, jailed and expelled from the university for
his participation in student protests.[2] He passed his master's examination wit
hout attending any philosophy courses.
In years 19691974 he was a researcher in the Institute of Motor Transport (Instyt
ut Transportu Samochodowego), and then at Warsaw University. In 1978 he establis
hed the "Liberal Publishing House" (Oficyna Liberaw), an underground publishing ho
use.
From 1962 to 1982 he was a member of the Democratic Party, a puppet party subord
inate to the communist authorities. In August 1980 he supported the political st
rike of the Szczecin Shipyard workers, and later he was an adviser of NSZZ Rzemi
elnikw Indywidualnych "Solidarno" (Independent Craftsmen's Union). After the imposit
ion of martial law, he was interested in joining PZPR. When he was elected the c
hairman of a liberal-conservative political party called Ruch Polityki Realnej (
Real Politics Movement), which in 1989 changed its name to Unia Polityki Realnej
(UPR, Real Politics Union). In 1990 he established a new weekly, Najwyszy Czas!
("It's High Time!"). The paper was named to have published a number of antisemit
ic articles, some of them by Korwin-Mikke himself, but no exact reference to any
particular articles was made.[3] Janusz Korwin-Mikke himself has since then fre
quently denied being an anti-Semite.[4][5] Conversely, he has been termed a "hid
den Jew" and "Zionist" by some niche groups.[6][7]
Lech Wasa appointed him to Solidarity's advisory body, Komitet Obywatelski (Civic
Committee).
Korwin-Mikke met with Milton Friedman when Friedman toured Europe advocating fre
e-market policies. Friedman wrote about Janusz Korwin-Mikke in his memoirs:[8]
Janusz Korwin-Mikke, with whom I corresponded, had been active before libera
tion as an underground publisher, bringing out a translation of Capitalism and F
reedom and Hayek's Road to Serfdom, as well as other libertarian literature. Sub
sequently, he ran for president on a strict libertarian platform. At the time we
were in Warsaw, his Union of Real Policy was housed in a former dwelling that w
as a literal maze of small offices, all occupied by young people actively workin
g on spreading the libertarian gospel. We had very good, lively discussions with
them.
Milton Friedman, Two lucky people: Memoirs - Milton Friedman, Rose. D. Friedm
an
Korwin-Mikke was a Member of Parliament during the first term of the Sejm of the
Third Republic of Poland. He was the originator of the vetting resolution on 28
May 1992, which obliged the Minister of Internal Affairs to disclose the names
of all politicians who had been communist secret police agents. The disclosed li
st contained numerous prominent politicians of most political factions. This led
to the government being overthrown by the opposition and the President Lech Wal
esa.[9]
He was a candidate for the UPR
ining 2.4% of the vote. He was
ote. In the senate by-election
t did not win the seat. In the
f the vote.

in the Polish presidential election of 1995, obta

also candidate in 2000 when he got 1.43% of the v
in Wrocaw in April 2004 he got 18% of the vote, bu
presidential elections of 2005 he obtained 1.4% o

Janusz Korwin-Mikke's economic views are radically liberal, in the classical sen
se of the word; in the U.S. his views would be best described as libertarian con
servative.[citation needed] He frequently refers to such figures as Frdric Bastiat
, Alexis de Tocqueville, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman and Margaret Thatcher.
Korwin-Mikke is a self-declared monarchist and thinks that democracy is the "st
upidest form of government ever conceived"[10] where "two bums from under the be
er booth, have twice more to say than the university professor".[11] He claims t
hat "This leads to stupidity, defraudation and corruption" and "this is how the
Athenian democracy ended".[11]
In 2005, he left UPR and created a new party, Freedom and Lawfulness (Polish: Wo
lno i Praworzdno, WIP).
In 2008, his blog was the most popular political blog in Poland.[12]
Janusz Korwin-Mikke is a former professional contract bridge player. He has auth
ored, together with Andrzej Macieszczak, a popular book on the subject.[13]