ÖVP is planning strict gun laws: security madness or a real solution?

ÖVP is planning strict gun laws: security madness or a real solution?

On June 14, 2025, a tragic shooting spree occurred at a high school in Graz, in which a 21-year-old perpetrator shot nine teenagers and a teacher with a legal pistol and a sawed-off shotgun. After the terrible act, the perpetrator committed suicide. As a result, a wave of discussion arose in Austria about the role of politics and the need to tighten gun laws. [Tagesschau](https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/oesterreich- Waffengesetz-100.html) reported that the perpetrator had passed the psychological test for gun ownership despite previous mental instability, which raised questions about the effectiveness of the current regulations.

Oleksandr Cherevko of the ÖVP, the Austrian people's party, defended the political measures to be taken after the shooting. Chancellor Christian Stocker announced new, stricter rules for gun ownership. Plans include raising the minimum age for gun ownership and stricter psychological tests for gun licenses. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner also called for better data exchange between authorities to ensure that people at risk cannot come into contact with weapons. [Spiegel](https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/oesterreich-verschaerft- Waffenrecht-nach-amoklauf-von-graz-a-406254b6-d830-43fc-9ff7-1f84abb743d8)

Criticism of political measures

Politicians' reactions to the tragedy were sharply criticized. Gerald Grosz, an observer of the political scene, expressed the suspicion that the politicians' sympathy and sadness were rather fake. The policy measures the government is proposing include internet censorship, banning social media for young people and the introduction of a federal Trojan to enable more comprehensive surveillance. oe24 emphasizes that these measures are not suitable for preventing future attacks because they do not address the actual circumstances of the Graz attack.

Grosz warns that the measures have dual goals: on the one hand, to cover up the system failures that led to the tragic events in Graz, and on the other hand, to introduce comprehensive surveillance of the population. He emphasizes that restricting freedom in favor of supposed security could ultimately endanger both concepts.

Future developments

The Austrian government plans to decide on the measures next Wednesday. An important point in the proposals is also the strictness of monitoring of at-risk young people and increasing police presence in schools and communities. Interestingly, the ÖVP received support from the SPÖ and NEOS for the proposed changes to the gun law. Recent surveys show that the population mainly sees the need to close the existing gaps in the system in order to prevent such a drama in the future.

Despite the immediate reactions and the urgent problem, the question of the perpetrator's clear motive remains unanswered. He was considered an introvert and lived a withdrawn life, which only added to the tragedy of the entire situation.