Poland's foreign ministry has said it opposes a planned visit by US white nationalist Richard Spencer, whom a Polish far-right group has invited to an Independence Day seminar in November.

Spencer is a leader of the so-called "alt-right" movement and head of the National Policy Institute, a white supremacist think-tank in the United States.

“In connection with the information regarding the planned participation of Richard B. Spencer in a seminar organised by the National Social Congress on the occasion of this year’s independence Day celebrations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its strong opposition to visits to Poland by individuals who propagate views that are based on racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic ideas,” the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement posted to its Twitter account.

It added: "As a country which was one of the biggest victims of Nazism, we believe that the ideas promoted by Mr Spencer and his followers could pose a threat to all those who hold dear the values of human rights and democracy.

"We also believe that the views voiced by Mr Spencer are in conflict with the legal order of the Republic of Poland. In our opinion, Mr Spencer's controversial activities and the proclamation of slogans referring to Nazism do not correspond to the character and seriousness of the official events commemorating the regaining of Poland's independence.”

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR, msz.gov.pl, Twitter