Romania expected to pass Holocaust restitution bill

Legislation that will make it easier for Holocaust survivors to press restitution claims is expected to pass in Romania’s parliament next week.

Lawmakers said Tuesday they expect the bill, which removes barriers to claiming property, to succeed, Reuters reported.

Much of the Jewish property confiscated in Romania during the Holocaust was later taken over by the Communist government. Despite laws passed after the collapse of Communist rule, few people have been able to claim government-owned property.

A draft law published on the parliament website said that in processing applications for the return of property, priority would be given to “requests by people certified as Holocaust survivors by entities designated by the Romanian state or other European Union states.”

The draft passed the upper house of parliament last week and will go to a final vote on May 4 in the lower house, where it is expected to win overwhelming support, legislators told Reuters.