France’s Marine Le Pen, at record high in polls, proposes ban on Muslim headscarves
- The far-right leader proposed a new law to ban ‘Islamist ideologies’ which she called ‘totalitarian and murderous’
- The beheading of schoolteacher Samuel Paty in October rekindled bitter arguments in France about immigration and the threat of Islamism
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Friday proposed a ban on Muslim headscarves in all public places, seeking to build on a record recent poll putting her almost neck-and-neck with President Emmanuel Macron.
The hijab policy, which would be contested in court and would almost certainly be ruled unconstitutional, saw the 53-year-old return to a familiar campaign theme 15 months from the country’s 2022 presidential election.
“I consider that the headscarf is an Islamist item of clothing,” Le Pen told reporters at a press conference where she proposed a new law to ban “Islamist ideologies” which she called “totalitarian and murderous.”
Since taking over from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Le Pen has run twice for the French presidency, losing badly in 2017 to political newcomer Macron in a defeat that she took months to recover from.
But recent polling shows her closer than ever to her ultimate prize and has led to a rash of new speculation about whether the anti-EU, anti-immigration populist could finally enter the Elysée Palace.