Czech Senate rejects government bill on church restitution

CeskeNoviny: Prague - The Czech Senate rejected after a day-long debate the government-sponsored bill on property settlement between the state and churches by the votes of the left today.

The bill was rejected by 43 senators out of 77 present.

Prime Minister Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) said he believes that the government coalition will override the Senate veto in the Chamber of Deputies.

It will need minimally 101 votes while it only had 93 votes in the July vote in the Chamber of Deputies.

Critics of the bill, mainly from the opposition Social Democratic Party (CSSD), said the bill treats churches differently from other recipients of property that was confiscated from them by communists and that this is unconstitutional.

They also said compensation for other property is overvalued by up to 54 billion crowns.

CSSD deputy chairman Jiri Dienstbier said the price of farm land was overvalued four-times and the price of forests by up to ten-times.

The opposition also challenged the extent of the property to be returned and warned about the danger that the lower threshold for restitution, February 25, 1948, which is the date when communists seized power in then Czechoslovakia, can be broken through.

The opposition also criticised the fact that property is also to go to seven churches that did not exist in Czechoslovakia before the communist regime fell in late 1989.

Senate chairman Milan Stech (CSSD) demanded a new bill to be drafted.

Opponents argued saying many reproaches stem from the lack of knowledge of the bill.

Culture Minister Alena Hanakova (TOP 09) said the bill is necessary with regard to a previous verdict by the Constitutional Court. Without the bill churches could seek private-owned property at court, she said.

The bill would also end the blocking of church property that restricts the development of about one fifth of municipalities, Hanakova said.

The bill counts with churches receiving about a half of their historical property that is now kept by the state. The half is worth about 75 billion crowns.

The churches would have to prove that they are entitled to the property and that it was confiscated from them between February 25, 1948 and January 1, 1990.

The churches are also to get a compensation of 59 billion crowns over a period of 30 years, or two billion crowns annually, for the real estate that is now owned by municipalities, regions or private persons. The sum would be, however, raised by inflation.

The largest sum, 47 billion crowns, is to go to the Roman Catholics.

The state is to gradually cease financing the churches. The transitional period is to last 17 years.

Now, the state gives churches 1.5 billion crowns annually for the pay of clergymen.