Social Democrats pushing to revise law on church restitutions

The Social Democrats have initiated talks with church dignitaries on a possible revision of the law on church restitutions. Party leader Bohuslav Sobotka told the CTK news agency on Thursday he had requested a meeting with Cardinal Dominik Duka and the head of the Ecumenical Council of Churches Joel Ruml. The Social Democrats are hoping to reach a new agreement with churches which would lower the burden on the state budget. The matter is also being debated with the Social Democrats’ potential coalition partners –the ANO party headed by Andrej Babiš, which approves of the move and the Christian Democrats who are vehemently against it.