Zagreb - After a heated debate on Wednesday morning as to whether the Offences against Public Order and Peace Act should be amended under fast-track procedure, the Opposition in the Croatian parliament repeated in a calmer tone their objections to the proposal.
Opposition MPs reiterated that there was no need to amend the current law, adopted 46 years ago, under fast-track procedure and that a new one should be passed instead.
Laws are passed under fast-track procedure only exceptionally, and such a procedure must be thoroughly explained, yet we have neither, said MP Dalija Orešković (Centre), concluding that this showed that "we are an invalid democracy."
Urša Raukar Gamulin (We Can!), too, objected to amending the law under fast-track procedure, noting that public consultation on the bill lasted only seven days instead of 30.
By ignoring two letters from the Information Commissioner who warned that public consultation should last 30 days you are demonstrating arrogance and disrespect for the state institutions, Raukar Gamulin told the parliamentary majority, adding that fines envisaged by the bill could have been increased in September, when the law was amended.
MP Damir Bajs (Focus) said a new law on offences against the public order and peace should be adopted given that the current one was 46 years old.
He, too, recalled that the law was amended last autumn and that fines were reduced at the time. What has happened in the past six months for the fines to be radically increased, he wondered.
Gov't representative on reasons for amendment
Government representative Irena Petrijevčanin said the purpose of higher penalties was to deter perpetrators.
The purpose is to prevent repeat offenders and to send a message to society that some offences are unacceptable, she said, noting that the amendments did not define any new offences but only changed the amount of fines.
An interdepartmental task force has been set up "which is aware of the need for substantive amendments," she said.
The proposed bill envisages a drastic increase in fines. The gravest offences, including the use of symbols and salutes that express or incite hatred, as well as the dissemination of fake news, would be punished with fines ranging from €700 to 4,000.
Grave offences such as fighting or quarreling in a public place, impersonation and unauthorised use of police symbols carry a fine of between €300 and 2,000. Offending citizens' moral sense and drinking alcohol and using drugs in public places would carry a fine of between €200 and 1,000.