Upon the initiative of KDU-ČSL the Constitutional Court has decided that taxation of financial compensation to churches is against the Constitution. These compensations vere given to churches after the end of communist era, because it was not possible to return all properties that were originally expropriated by the communist regime.
The law on taxation of compensation for churches was drafted by the Communist Party, successor of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia that put the churches properties under state control after 1948. “It is very good news as well as a positive sign that our justice system and democratic principles still work properly,” said Chairman of KDU-ČSL Marek Výborný.
KDU-ČSL drew attention to the unconstitutionality of taxation from the very beginning stressing out that the rule of low is a key principle of a democratic society. Therefore, under the KDU-ČSL leadership, a group of 45 senators from various parties signed a petition asking an annulment of the law that was submitted to the Constitutional Court. The Christian Democrats also supported a similar proposal submitted by a group of deputies in the Chamber of Deputies.
“The main problem with the taxation of financial compensation is not the fact, that it is against churches, but that it would work retroactive,” commented the chairman of KDU-ČSL senatorial group Petr Šilar.
Lawyer Jakub Kříž, who worked on the complaint submitted to the Constitutional Court, added: “It looks like a tax law but, it is not. Governing parties did not even try to hide, that by passing this law, they are adjusting the height of financial compensations. This should not be part of the rule of law in any democratic state.”