Austria to bolster security after Taylor Swift concert plot

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced plans on Tuesday to strengthen counter-terrorism measures across the country. His announcement came several days after three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna had to be canceled over security concerns.

In a post on social media site X, formerly Twitter, Nehammer said he would be presenting a raft of measures to enable "decisive action against terrorist activities."

What are the proposed measures?

Nehammer shared a link to an article in the Austrian newspaper Krone where he set out his agenda.

He plans to allow intelligence agencies to monitor communications on messaging apps, which is currently illegal in Austria.

The central European nation has long had strict data privacy laws — something Nehammer's conservative People's Party (ÖVP) has sought to amend, but has faced tough opposition from their coalition partners the Greens.

He also wants to expand the conditions under which minors can be kept in pre-trial detention.

Of the three suspects arrestedover the plot, two are under 18. They allegedly planned to attack at least one of Taylor Swift's much-anticipated "Eras tour" concerts with knives and explosives.

Security services said they had pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and so-called "Islamic State" (IS) terrorist networks.

The Chancellor said he wanted to invest more in deradicalization programs and to combat "political Islam" in Austria. This has been a major talking point of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) ahead of parliamentary elections in September. The FPÖ currently leads the ÖVP in the polls.

es/wmr (Reuters)