Austrian president wants Beneš decrees revoked

The Austrian president, Heinz Fischer, has lashed out against the Beneš decrees, legislation that sanctioned the expulsion and confiscation of property of some 2.5 million ethnic Germans from post-war Czechoslovakia. In an open letter to the Sudeten German Landsmanschaft in Austria, President Fischer said the decrees had been a gross injustice imposed on the Sudeten German community in post-war Czechoslovakia, and should not be sanctioned by the European Union. He said he would fight for human rights to be respected within and outside Austria’s borders and firmly believed that the chance of justice being done in the present day EU was far greater than it had been in 20th century Europe.

After the fall of communism politicians in Austria and Germany called for the decrees to be revoked, opening the way for compensation claims. President Vaclav Klaus tried to block this possibility when he demanded an opt-out from the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights before signing the Lisbon Treaty late last year. In reaction to the letter, President Klaus said it was essential that the opt-out should be approved as soon as possible.