Polish Left seeks to end state funding of priests’ social contributions as government reform stalls
The party says its "patience is running out", but coalition partner PSL will oppose the bill.
The Polish Left party has introduced a bill in parliament to end government funding for priests' social security contributions. This proposal comes as a result of delays in implementing a pledge to reform the Church Fund, which has been a source of contention within the governing coalition. The Left argues that clergy should be treated like other workers when it comes to financing their social contributions.
Currently, 80% of clergy members' contributions are financed by state funds, amounting to over 17.5 billion zloty (€4 billion) transferred to religious organizations from 2021 to 2023. The Left wants this arrangement to apply to both priests and regular clergy members, with the clergy covering the remaining 50% of the contributions.
However, another coalition partner, the Polish People’s Party (PSL), opposes the bill, preferring a system that allows taxpayers to allocate a portion of their taxes to religious institutions of their choice. The Catholic Church, which benefits most from the current funding system, has also criticized the proposal for lacking prior consultation.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
