Tusk announced the creation of such a team at the end of December last year. After that, he said that this issue Church Foundation refers to “an amicable but final separation of church and state” and “a clear, acceptable to the people, just regulation of finances and, above all, public money used and used by Polish churches.”
Prime Minister's Order No. 5 of January 11, 2024 on the Church Foundation Inter-Ministerial Team was published in Monitor Polski, the official journal of the Republic of Poland.
Church Foundation. Tusk took another step
According to its content, the team should be an auxiliary body of the Council of Ministers and its tasks include “conducting analyzes and developing a concept for changing the functioning of the church fund and changing the principles of financing, namely: social security contributions and benefits and health insurance for clergy, charitable activities, churches and other religious Education and upbringing of associations” and “Reconstruction, conservation and renovation of sacred and church buildings of historical value”.
These clauses were the subject of the operation of the Church Trust, which was established by the 1950 State Taking of Estates.
The next point of the team's work – in accordance with the text of the decree – is to submit actions based on the developed concept, including legislative proposals. The team should also perform other tasks assigned by the Council of Ministers or the Prime Minister in relation to the mentioned issues, but not mentioned in the government document.
Who is on the government team?
The order also contains information about the composition of the team responsible for the case Church Foundation. As the Prime Minister said earlier, it included: the chairman of the team – the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of National Defense, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, the Minister of the Family, the Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Civil Society, the Chairman of the Public Benefit Committee, the Minister – Member of the Council, Head of the Prime Minister's Office, President of the Government Legislative Center, as well as Secretary. Gundi – an employee of the Prime Minister's Office.
Each member of the team may appoint a Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary of State, or other representative in his place.
In the regulation, it is written that in order to implement the tasks of the team, its chairman can create problem teams. They may include representatives of offices, experts and representatives of bodies, entities, institutions or organizations operating in the field related to the work of the given problem team.
The chairman of the team is also obliged to submit a report on the work of this body to the Council of Ministers twice a year: by June 30 and by December 31. The report includes tasks already completed, tasks planned for the next reporting period, as well as conclusions and recommendations. The first report should be submitted by March 31, 2024.
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(Tags translated) Tusk Church Foundation Damian Tsigani Religion Country Pool