The Contagious Diseases Act was amended on Wednesday, with 77 MPs voting in favour and 27 against, while the members of the opposition populist Most party walked out of the Parliament chamber.

The amended law provides for fines of up to 50,000 kuna for responsible persons not complying with the COVID-19 certificate mandate in public institutions.

During the vote, the majority turned down a conclusion proposed by the opposition that any laws and decisions restricting human rights and freedoms should be adopted by a two-thirds vote in the parliament. The centre-left opposition parties said they would ask the Constitutional Court to test the constitutionality of the amended law.

Most party MPs in conflict with other opposition lawmakers

The run-up to the vote was marked by incidents between members of the Most party and other opposition MPs.

The row came to a head when Social Democrat (SDP) leader Pedja Grbin accused the representatives of that conservative party of acting like parasites, profiting off the pandemic.

Grbin urged the Most MPs to call on people to get vaccinated against coronavirus, after which the SDP would in return support Most’s referendum initiative against COVID certificates.

Marija Selak-Raspudic said that such accusations were base, after which Most MPs Nino Raspudic, Miro Bulj and Marin Miletic approached Grbin and circled him, but their conversation could not be heard.

The Most MPs accused Grbin of cowardice.

Sandra Bencic of the green-left Mozemo! party said that Parliament was faced with two extremes: one being statements against vaccination made by the Most MPs, and the other being the fact that the ruling HDZ party refuses to implement Article 17 of the Constitution concerning emergencies.

During the heated debate, the Most MPs  also argued with SDSS MP Milorad Pupovac who called them “apprentices of death”. Pupovac and some other MPs were reprimanded and denied the floor.

In the end, the microphone caught Nikola Grmoja saying to Marija Selak-Raspudic: “We did this badly. We turned everyone against us.”