PiS announces public consultations on access to weapons

In recent days, the issue of access to weapons is heating up the Polish political scene again. PiS vice-president Przemysław Czarnek, in response to the appeal of President Karol Nawrocki, announced the launch of broad public consultations. Politicians of the ruling party want to talk not only to soldiers and service officers, but also to hunters, sports shooters and reconstruction groups.

The aim of the consultations is to develop solutions that will allow for the "rationalization" of regulations regarding access to weapons. PiS emphasizes that they want more citizens to be able to use weapons safely and be prepared to defend themselves and the country.

Such regulations must be prepared responsibly. Rationalization cannot mean a threat to internal security, Czarnek emphasized.

Political divisions and lack of enthusiasm

However, PiS's idea did not meet with broad support among other parties. The chairman of the parliamentary national defense committee, Andrzej Grzyb, admitted that he did not see much enthusiasm for the liberalization of regulations outside the Confederation. If there is a proposal, we will discuss it. Currently, I don't see what this proposal would look like beyond a general slogan, said Grzyb.

According to the committee chairman, the debate over access to weapons is already ongoing and society is divided. On the one hand, there are voices demanding tighter control, especially against hunters, on the other hand, hunting circles and some politicians oppose the new restrictions.

Security versus freedom

An important aspect of the discussion is safety. Grzyb points out that an increase in the number of weapons in circulation may lead to an increase in illegal possession and threats to citizens.

Recently, among others, illegal possession of weapons, the suspect was arrested for three months. A 33-year-old man was charged by the prosecutor's office with attempted murder and active assault on a policeman performing his official duties. A 29-year-old officer was shot in the head on Thursday; he died in hospital on Friday.

History of debates and projects without finals

This is not the first attempt to change weapons regulations in Poland. In 2017, Kukiz'15 MPs presented a project liberalizing access, but it did not gain support and was not passed. The topic returned after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine - another proposal for changes appeared in 2022, but it was also not implemented.