Austria’s Greens demand stricter gun laws

Austria’s Greens are calling for stricter gun laws following the suspected terrorist attack in Munich. “It is unacceptable that an 18-year-old, who is banned from owning a gun, can obtain a firearm without being checked,” the ruling party’s parliamentary group was quoted as saying in the newspaper “Der Standard”. The young shooter from Austria who was killed by the police had acquired an old rifle and ammunition from a private gun collector despite the ban. According to Austrian law, it is a Category C weapon. This group includes long guns that are reloaded by hand – i.e. most hunting rifles.

Private sellers of such weapons are not obliged to check for a possible weapons ban – unlike professional dealers. In the case of private purchases, the weapons can be handed over immediately, whereas in the case of dealers they can only be handed over after a three-day cooling-off period.

“The Interior Minister is called upon to introduce significant tightening measures, including a general ban on private arms sales,” said the Greens. The demand is directed at the Chancellor’s party, the ÖVP, which has Gerhard Karner as Interior Minister. The Conservatives and the Greens have been governing in a coalition for five years. A new parliament will be elected at the end of September.

ÖVP General Secretary Christian Stocker signaled his willingness to examine possible loopholes in the law. However, he rejected an end to private arms sales in an interview with the “Standard”. After the shooting near the Israeli consulate in Munich, the ÖVP instead once again called for expanded powers to monitor electronic messages in order to combat extremism.