The Federal Ministry of the Interior wants to improve protection against weapons and knives
Following a series of knife attacks over the past few months, calls for a change in gun control have grown louder. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had already advocated for a general ban on carrying knives in public transportation in spring.
The Bundesrat demanded a tightening of regulations in mid-June. The states called for a general ban on switchblades and a ban on carrying fixed-blade knives over six centimeters in length - currently, these are only banned if they are over twelve centimeters.
Faeser welcomed the corresponding demands of the states. As a ministry spokeswoman told the news agency AFP on Thursday, several requests from the states to the federal government are included. "This initiative will be examined within the legislative process by the federal government."
However, it is unclear how quickly changes will come about. The proposed regulations on gun control would require internal government review, which is not yet complete, a spokeswoman told AFP. Therefore, "no further statements can be made in terms of time." The Bundesrat had already criticized that a draft law on gun control announced by the Federal Ministry has been in intergovernmental consultation for over a year.
The Greens in the Bundestag also demanded that "the long-overdue reform of gun control" be tackled. Parliamentary business manager Irene Mihalic told the news agency AFP that she also finds the idea of the police union "fundamentally very good" to create incentives for the voluntary surrender of dangerous knives.
The GdP federal chairman Jochen Kopelke had demanded an amnesty for the surrender of edged weapons on Tuesday. He also proposed a "scrapping bonus" where, for example, those who surrender a banned butterfly knife would receive a one-year subscription to the streaming service Netflix.
"It doesn't have to be the Netflix subscription, but a small incentive can motivate more people to surrender their weapons," said Mihalic. "That makes Germany a little safer."
In Germany, the acquisition and possession of certain knives such as butterfly knives are already prohibited. A violation can be punished with a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine. According to the Interior Ministry, knives with a one-handed openable blade, so-called one-handers, as well as fixed-blade knives with a blade length of over twelve centimeters, may not be carried outside one's own home or property. Violations can result in a fine.
The Bundesrat's demands for tightening knife regulations also included a ban on carrying fixed-blade knives over six centimeters in length in public transportation, which aligns with the federal government's initiatives in Germany. The proposed gun control reforms, including the potential ban on certain knives, aim to make Germany safer, as stated by Parliamentary Business Manager Irene Mihalic.
