New gun law sparks political clash in Austria

According to Die Zeit, in response to the school shooting in Austria, new legislation on gun ownership has been adopted.

All parties, except the right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), voted in favor of raising the minimum age for gun purchases and strengthening psychological testing prior to firearm ownership.

Parliament also approved extending the waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm from three days to four weeks. Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner described the move as the most significant amendment to gun legislation in the past 30 years.

According to the Interior Ministry, exceptions will apply only to hunters and sport shooters. The far-right Freedom Party criticized the reforms, calling them an “ideological, sweeping attack” on nearly 400,000 law-abiding gun owners.

FPÖ Secretary-General Christian Hafenecker had earlier described the draft law as a “horrific piece of legislation” that would not have prevented the June attack. Members of the ruling ÖVP and SPÖ accused the FPÖ of irresponsibility and siding with the gun lobby.

Under the new law, the minimum age for owning handguns and revolvers will rise from 21 to 25. The minimum age for rifles will increase from the current 18 to 21. Additionally, under the new rules, a firearms license will be required to purchase shotguns and rifles.

Gun owners will also be subject to more extensive psychological examinations. A mandatory cooling-off period has been introduced to prevent impulsive firearm attacks.

The reforms also provide for improved cooperation and information sharing between relevant authorities. In the future, results of military medical examinations will be used to screen potential gun owners. Enhanced information exchange between firearm authorities and mental health centers is also planned. Some of these reforms will take effect soon, while the rest will be implemented in the first half of 2026.

In the June 10 attack in Graz, a 21-year-old man killed nine teenagers, a teacher, and himself. Many others were injured. According to police, the perpetrator used two legally-owned firearms. Following the incident, the Austrian parliament announced the gun law reforms.