Booming Firearms

Europe is largely gun-free, but the new Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini wants to change that.

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. Following on in this direction, in March 2019, the Italian government reformed the self-defense laws to allow homeowners to defend themselves against intruders by means of firearms. Homeowners can now fire upon trespassers as long as there is a perceived threat of violence.

As Salvini’s government continues to relax legislation on guns and self-defense, more citizens are supporting a US concept of individual safety and freedom. Firearms licenses In Italy have increased by 13.8% from 2017 to 2018, and are projected to grow further. Italy is also one of the largest worldwide exporters of light weapons and Salvini’s support for the Italian gun lobby is a long-standing patronage. Volumes of production account for 70% of light and sporting weapons manufactured in the EU and 40% of world production, with Beretta as the flagship of this sector.

This series investigates the relationship between Italians and weapons in light of the recent changes of the regulatory landscape on firearms use. The pictures show a range of varied situations, people and regions, from trainers and athletes of the National Shooting associations, to players that shoot for leisure and those that own a weapon to feel safer.