Le Pen faces backlash over hijab ban proposal
French far-right presidential front-runner Marine Le Pen has reaffirmed her plan to ban the hijab in public, drawing criticism from political rivals and rights groups while also unsettling her own party.
Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally and the front-runner in polling for the 2027 presidential election, is facing sharp criticism after doubling down on her proposal to ban women from wearing the hijab in public.
A person close to Le Pen told Politico that she intends to include the ban within a broader law targeting "radical Islamism," which would then be put to a referendum. This approach is meant to shift the debate away from religion and toward "Islamist ideology," the source said.
The issue has taken over France's political news cycle after a National Rally lawmaker said Sunday that wearing the hijab in public would become a fineable offense under a Le Pen presidency. Le Pen currently holds a double-digit lead in polling ahead of the first round of next spring's presidential election.
Criticism from rivals
Left-wing leaders and civil liberties advocates have called the proposal Islamophobic and discriminatory. Leading leftist candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused Le Pen on X of wanting to create an "Iranian-style clothing police." Anti-racism group SOS Racisme said she was trying to "chase Muslim women out of public areas." Center-right candidate Edouard Philippe said the state should focus on fighting Islamism and extremism rather than French Muslims, while conservative candidate Bruno Retailleau called the idea a poor use of police resources.
According to a 2023 report by France's national statistics agency, 26 percent of French Muslim women aged 18 to 49 wear the hijab. France is already one of the few European countries to fully ban full-face veils in public and was the only country to bar its own athletes from wearing the hijab at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Religious head coverings, including hijabs and kippas, have been banned in schools since 2004.
Divisions within the party
The proposal has long been politically risky even within Le Pen's own party. National Rally president Jordan Bardella had internally discussed dropping it over concerns it could hurt the party. Speaking to reporters Monday, Bardella downplayed the plan, saying it would ultimately be up to voters through a referendum and that it was not about enforcing a dress code. But with Le Pen leading the campaign and Bardella in a secondary role, the episode has underscored who holds control within the party.
