Church restitution commission advises against government’s proposals

A parliamentary commission set up to advise the state on restituting church property confiscated under Communism has recommended that the government’s current proposals be rejected. The government suggests that around one third of the property confiscated in 1948 be returned to the Church, but on Thursday, the committee voted against this idea by six votes to five. Instead, the committee proposed another round of talks with church representatives to reach a new agreement. The government’s idea for restituting property was rejected by the commission when opposition MPs voted against it, alongside rebel Civic Democrat Vlastimil Tlustý. The commission was established last June by the Czech Lower House to come up with a settlement in this long-running argument.