Arms Legislation to be Determined in September
In a significant development, the Austrian parliamentary interior committee has approved the tightening of news laws, paving the way for a resolution in the September session of the National Council. This move comes in response to growing concerns about gun violence and the illegal possession of weapons in the country.
The proposed changes aim to enhance safety and security, with a focus on scrutinising who gets access to weapons more carefully. However, access to weapons will not be blocked altogether, as hunters, who undergo appropriate training, will be exempt from the tightening.
The initiative is spearheaded by Agnes Sirkka Prammer, spokeswoman for the Greens for the interior and security. Prammer stated that some of their central demands such as higher age limits, stricter breaking news bans, and clinical-psychological assessments are now part of the law. She also mentioned that the Greens will continue to push for stricter rules in the future.
The law also includes better data exchange between authorities to improve the tracking of weapons and prevent illegal activities. However, Christian Hafenecker, FPÖ general secretary, criticised the new regulations, stating that the government would shift its 'failures' onto its own citizens with the new law and put the entire population under general suspicion.
The FPÖ reiterated its rejection of the new gun law at a press conference on Thursday. Despite this, the Ministry of the Interior dismissed the Freedom Party's criticism of the tightening. State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried stressed that the government had followed the students' request to tighten gun laws.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced that there were only minor formal changes after the review. The law includes changes to the minimum age for acquiring weapons, but it remains unclear who rejected the reissue of the weapons law in the National Council in September.
Styrian governor Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) supported the interior minister, but the federal party reportedly sees it differently. The Greens welcomed the innovations in the gun law but still saw too many exceptions.
One point of contention is the issue of illegal weapons. While the new law aims to address this issue, Hafenecker argued that it would ignore the problem, a claim that has not been substantiated.
In the wake of a homicide in Vienna last Tuesday, it was stated that the new regulations would have no effect on the current case. This highlights the ongoing challenge of dealing with illegal weapons and the need for continued vigilance and action.
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