STA, 1 September 2021 - The Interior Ministry has prepared changes to the public order act that introduce fines for indecent behaviour towards state officials, senior representatives of the authorities and their families. The proposal, which has already been endorsed by the government, is yet to be approved in parliament.
In line with the changes a person "arguing with, shouting at or behaving indecently to an official who is conducting their official duties or to a high-level representative of the state, MP, member of the National Council or the government, a Constitutional Court or a Supreme Court judge, or their family members" could be slapped with a EUR 500-1,000 fine.
The government said after today's correspondence session that the changes had been proposed in light of a rise in "threats to MPs and other senior representatives of the state recently".
At the beginning of summer, as the National Assembly discussed changes to the communicable disease act, several MPs were harassed by anti-maskers in front of the parliament building.
Deputy groups assessed after the incident that the parliament's security system needed changes.
As questions were raised why police officers guarding the building had not acted, Police Commissioner Anton Olaj ordered an inquiry and three officers of the Ljubljana Police Department have been given written warnings before termination of employment due to violations of the employment contract in relation to their conduct.
The coalition parties has been calling for changes to the penal code to make an assault on state officials a criminal act prosecuted ex officio. The Justice Ministry is drawing up this proposal.
Responding to the proposed changes to the public order act that would introduce the fines, the opposition Left said the proposal was "an arrogant attempt to silence protests" against those who were privatising healthcare, abusing efforts to tackle the Covid crisis, suppressing criticism and undermining public institutions.
The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) sees it as yet another repressive way with which the government is trying to silence all citizens who would express criticism of the government policies in any way.
LMŠ MP Tina Heferle stressed that the LMŠ absolutely opposed indecent and insulting behaviour towards anyone not just state officials. "Why punish someone who insults me three times stricter than someone who insults you. Thus the government is again creating first- and second-class citizens," she said.
Matjaž Han, the head of the deputy group of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), also assessed the proposal as harmful. "Such proposals do not help reduce conflicts in our society, they only enhance them."
He stressed that relevant institutions for dealing with inappropriate reactions already existed in the country.
