Berlin, Jan 3 (CTK) – Hysteria has grown further in the Czech Republic after the attack in Berlin and Interior Minister Milan Chovanec is making use of the sentiment to score political points, Prague correspondent Hans-Jorg Schmidt writes in the German daily Die Welt online yesterday.
He reacts to a proposal with which the interior ministry wants to strengthen the right to use legally possessed arms in ensuring security in the country. The proposal has met with lawmakers’ criticism.
Die Welt mentions examples of towns that banned Christmas markets from being organised after the Berlin attack, which cost the lives of 12 people, including a Czech woman who lived in the city for a long time, and dozens of others were injured.
“It is dubious whether Interior Minister Chovanec really wants to take preventive steps against the terrorism danger in the Czech Republic which is low compared to the situation in other EU countries even according to his office’s information,” Schmidt writes.
He writes that supporters of President Milos Zeman who believes that migrants threaten the security of the Czech Republic may like Chovanec’s proposal.
It could also boost the already flourishing trade in arms. “Pistols from the Czech Republic are popular, even with foreign terrorists,” Schmidt writes.
He writes that the proposal may be at variance with the EU anti-discrimination measures.
