§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Prime Minister what information she has as to which European countries by law prevent (i) Roman Catholic citizens and (ii) citizens of any other Christian denomination from holding(a) the position of Head of State, (b) the position of Head of Government and (c) other high public functions.
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 14 July 1988]: Outside the United Kingdom, in Denmark, Sweden and Norway Roman Catholics are prevented from becoming Head of State because of the constitutional requirement that the monarch must profess the Protestant faith. The Holy See is of course a special case. There are no European countries in which Roman Catholic citizens or citizens of 162W any other Christian denomination are prevented by law from occupying the position of Head of Government or other high public functions. This is also the formal position in the Communist countries of Eastern Europe, but in practice nearly all senior posts are held by Communist party members. This effectively precludes from high office those who openly profess a religious belief.