Marine Le Pen threatens veiled women in France should she win the presidency

New political escalation in France ahead of 2027 elections

The leader of the French far-right, Marine Le Pen, has reopened the file on the hijab and religious freedoms in France, placing the issue at the heart of political debate as the 2027 presidential elections approach. In a move described as an escalation, Le Pen has pledged to hold a national referendum to impose a total ban on wearing the hijab in public spaces if her party, the ‘National Rally’, wins the presidency.

The ‘National Rally’ plan for the public sphere

According to party insiders, the proposal goes beyond a simple ban and includes the imposition of financial fines on women who violate the law, should it be enacted. Party MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy compared this potential penalty to a traffic fine, stressing that the party is determined to criminalize the wearing of the hijab as part of a broader strategy to confront what he termed “Islamist ideologies.”

Party stance and details of proposed referendums

Meanwhile, Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, attempted to mitigate accusations that the party is seeking to create a “clothing police.” Bardella clarified that his party aims to give the final say to the French people by organizing two referendums: the first concerning immigration, and the second regarding the restriction of religious symbols in public spaces and educational institutions. Bardella emphasized that the primary goal is to enact the policies demanded by a large segment of their electoral base.

A history of controversy over the hijab in France

It is noteworthy that this stance is not new for Marine Le Pen; she has consistently adopted a hardline rhetoric regarding the hijab in her previous election campaigns in 2012, 2017, and 2022. With the 2027 elections looming, the party appears to have decided to raise the stakes, turning this issue into one of its most significant tools to capture the votes of conservative and far-right French voters, signaling a period of sharp polarization in the French political landscape over the coming months.