Social Democrats and ANO refuse power play in talks with churches

The Social Democrats and ANO of the emerging centre-left government say they will not use the threat of cancelling tax benefits for churches in order to get them to be more cooperative on the matter of church restitutions. The two strongest parties in the future government are critical of the church restitution law passed under the former centre-right government of then prime minister Petr Nečas and have appealed on church dignitaries to consider a less generous settlement that would not put so great a burden on the state budget. Lawyers have advised the country’s future leaders negotiating the matter to use the threat of heavily taxing the money to be paid out as compensation for property that is not being returned and taxing the state contributions to churches which are to he handed out for another 17 years before they become fully independent from the state.