Key facts
- Marine Le Pen plans to propose a ban on women wearing hijabs in public.
- The proposal would be part of a law against "radical Islamism" and subject to a referendum.
- Critics have labeled the proposal as Islamophobic and discriminatory.
- Le Pen is currently leading in polls for the 2027 French presidential election.
Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is facing significant criticism for her renewed proposal to ban women from wearing the hijab in public spaces. A person close to Le Pen indicated the ban would be introduced via a law targeting "radical Islamism" and then put to a referendum, aiming to frame the issue as one of "Islamist ideology" rather than religion.
The proposal has dominated the French political discourse, with a lawmaker from Le Pen's National Rally party stating that wearing a hijab in public would result in fines if she were elected. Le Pen currently holds a double-digit lead in polls for the 2027 presidential election.
Political opponents and civil liberties groups have strongly condemned the plan. Leading leftist candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused Le Pen of seeking to establish an "Iranian-style clothing police," while the anti-racism watchdog SOS Racisme stated the aim was to "chase Muslim women out of public areas." Other politicians, such as Edouard Philippe and Bruno Retailleau, questioned the focus on French Muslims and the practical use of police resources.
While debates over religious head coverings, including the hijab, are recurrent in France, Le Pen's proposal has historically been politically challenging, even within her own party. Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, had previously considered dropping the proposal due to concerns about it being a political liability. Bardella, however, recently downplayed the initiative, emphasizing that French voters would decide via referendum and that it was "not about enforcing a dress code."