The Czech Republic has recently moved to secure the rights of its citizens by passing a constitutional right to bear arms. The Czech Republic Parliament passed a constitutional amendment that recognizes the people’s right to bear arms.
139 deputies in the parliament voted to pass this amendment with only 9 voting against it. Currently the measure is waiting to be considered by the Czech Senate, it will require a supermajority to pass. The wording of this legislation is impressive to say the least: “Citizens of the Czech Republic have the right to acquire, retain and bear arms and ammunition.“
Interior Minister of the Czech Republic, Milan Chovanec, came out to say that new legislation was directly aimed at the new EU directive that seeks to ban semi-automatic firearms from all magazines that hold more than 10 rounds for pistols or 20 rounds for long guns. Chovanec stated “We do not want to disarm our own people at a time when the security situation is constantly worsening.“
The Czech Republic and its citizens are no strangers when it comes to owning firearms, the country has an estimated 300,000 gun owners and it is believed that there are 800,000 firearms in the country. Contrary to popular belief not all European countries are opposed to firearm ownership, the Czech Republic’s recent move is one that might spur similar moves by other countries in the region
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