Lewica prepares bill to liquidate Poland's Church Fund

The Lewica party is preparing to submit a parliamentary bill to the Sejm aimed at liquidating the Church Fund (Fundusz Kościelny). This move comes in response to a perceived lack of progress by the current governing coalition regarding this campaign promise.

Despite previous declarations to reform the system, the state budget for 2027 allocates a record nearly 284 million PLN to the Fund, an increase of 11 million PLN from the previous year. While Prime Minister Donald Tusk established an interministerial team led by Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz to find a compromise, the group has met only twice without significant results.

The proposed Lewica legislation seeks to replace the Fund with a new system for financing clergy benefits. Under previous iterations of the proposal, clergy members would pay half of their pension and disability contributions, with their respective churches covering the remaining half. Additionally, religious associations would be responsible for the full contributions of monks and missionaries without income. Support for the conservation of sacred monuments and charitable activities would continue through other funding channels.