Nearly half of all Poles polled by the daily Gazeta Prawna daily supported the introduction of the country’s restitution bill. While 48 percent of respondents were in favor of the new regulations, only 20 percent came out against. The result came as a surprise, as reprivatization has never been raised public interest before. The daily suggests this is because the number of beneficiaries has always been relatively small. It’s still seen as a long-shot for politicians to reach common ground on a new bill, claims the daily. The opposition wants the legislation to be limited to land land located in Warsaw, while the ruling party PiS took is taking what the newspaper calls a wait and see approach.
Before the political revolution of 1989, it’s estimated that as many as 24,000 private buildings were confiscated by the state without any compensation. After the fall of Communism, many claims were submitted for the return of these properties, including those which are seen as legally ‘unclear’.
In the middle of August, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda signed into law new rules that will limit the return of property seized in Warsaw during the Communist era to its original owners. The legislation would allow Warsaw authorities to refuse the return of land if it is currently serving public purposes such as schools.
Warsaw has returned almost 2,500 properties to their original owners or to their descendants, however it’s thought that another 2,600 legal proceedings are still ongoing.
