Chamber passes divisive church restitution bill, overturning Senate veto

The Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday night approved a bill on church restitution for a second time, after it was vetoed by the left-controlled Senate. The long-discussed legislation will see denominations including Christian and Jewish religious institutions regain around half of the property seized from them by the Communist regime that fell in 1989. They will receive nearly CZK 60 billion in compensation for the rest of their properties in 30, indexed yearly payments. The bill now goes to the Czech president for ratification. The issue has divided public opinion, with one poll last year suggesting 70 percent of Czechs were opposed.

Author: Masha Volynsky