Government signs deals with churches on financial compensation for confiscated property

Prime Minister Petr Nečas on Friday signed agreements with 16 churches and religious societies on financial compensation amounting to 59 billion crowns for property confiscated by the communist regime. The agreement is part of a broad property restitution deal, approved by Parliament earlier this year. The churches are set to receive the funds over a period of 30 years. After that time, they will receive no public funding. The agreement has come under criticism from the opposition which on Thursday lodged a last-minute complaint against it with the Constitutional Court. The court’s secretary said on Friday it would be proper for the Czech government to postpone signing the contracts until the Constitutional Court delivers a verdict on the issue.

Author: Jan Richter