Brothers in Arms

Europe is largely gun-free, but..

Europe is largely gun-free, but the new Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini wants to change that. Riding the recent scenario of increasing fear and sense of insecurity, Salvini aims at disrupting the current European policy, lobbying for a US model of free access to arms. Oppositely, the EU, as a consequence of the recent terrorist attacks, proposed to tighten the controls on the acquisition and possession of firearms. The new EU directive on firearms possession in Italy was adopted on September 2018 in a less restrictive interpretation, and it became easier to buy a gun for Italian citizens. The Italian government is also trying to reform the self-defense laws to allow homeowners to confront intruders and defend themselves with firearms if need be. Firearms licenses have increased by 13.8% in the last year, and are projected to grow further. Salvini’s support for the Italian gun lobby is a long-standing patronage. Italy is one of the largest worldwide exporters of light weapons, with Beretta as the flagship of this sector, accounting for 70% of light and sporting weapons produced in the EU and 40% of world production.

The aim of this series is to investigate the relationship between Italians and weapons in light of the recent enforced firearms directive, through different stories, people and regions.