Gun Law Received Green Light from Committee

The parliamentary Interior Committee approved the tightening of the gun laws on Thursday, paving the way for a decision in the September session of the National Council. After the review, there were only minor formal changes, as Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) announced after the meeting. The law brings, among other things, changes to the minimum age for acquiring weapons, but also better data exchange between authorities.

Review of Graz School Shooting

Karner recalled the reason for the tightening, the school shooting at a Graz school last June, which will always remain a terrible memory. State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried (SPÖ) emphasized that the government had followed the students' call to take action.

Criticism from the Freedom Party was rejected by the Interior Ministry. Karner saw himself supported by the Styrian Governor Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) and regretted that the federal Freedom Party apparently saw it differently. For Leichtfried, the FPÖ's no shows that they no longer want to participate constructively, even where a national consensus should be a matter of course.

At the same time, the Minister and State Secretary emphasized that access to weapons would not be blocked. They are not closing the door, but are looking more closely at who gets the key, Leichtfried stated. Karner emphasized that hunters are exempt from the tightening, as they have to undergo appropriate training. According to his own account, the Interior Minister also received positive feedback at a meeting with hunters the day before, indicating that a pragmatic draft is in place.

FPÖ Against New Gun Law

The FPÖ emphasized its rejection of the new gun law in a press conference on Thursday. With the legislative initiative, the government would "shift its failures onto its own citizens" and place the entire population under general suspicion, said FPÖ General Secretary Christian Hafenecker. The new regulations would not have had any effect in the recent case of a homicide in Vienna last Tuesday, and the issue of illegal weapons is being ignored.

In the case of the Graz rampage, an exchange of data between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior would have had a preventive effect, as the psychological assessment during the conscription process had already raised concerns. Security spokesperson Gernot Darmann emphasized in the press conference following the parliamentary interior committee that it is always possible for "criminals" to resort to illegal weapons.

FPÖ Sees "Bureaucratic Monster"

Since the executive now has to check not only the owners of handguns but also those of long guns, a "bureaucratic monster" is being created - even though the resources are not even available to combat illegal gun ownership. But "the problem is not legal weapons, but illegal ones." Darmann criticized, among other things, the extension of the waiting period to four weeks as well as the retroactive intervention rights as arbitrary.

FPÖ defense spokesperson Volker Reifenberger also pointed out that the future age limit of 25 years for handguns would apply not only to professional soldiers but also to militia soldiers. The latter make up the majority of soldiers working in border protection and are under 25 years old. According to the amendment, after service with the use of such weapons, this trust would no longer exist by law.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.