Marine Le Pen proposes referendum to penalize Islamic veil in public spaces
National Rally leaders announced plans to fine the wearing of the Islamic veil in public spaces and submit anti-Islamist legislation to a national referendum if elected in 2027.
Referendum and fine proposal
On 30 August 2026, Rassemblement National deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy stated on BFMTV that the party plans to fine women who wear the Islamic veil in public spaces if it wins the 2027 presidential election. Tanguy compared the proposed fines to penalties for driving without a seatbelt, stating that the measure aims to combat Islamist ideology. On 31 August 2026, party presidential candidate Marine Le Pen confirmed on X that she intends to put the proposal directly to a national vote.
I will submit to the French by referendum a broad law against Islamist ideologies with numerous strong measures, including penalizing the Islamist veil in public space.
Party president Jordan Bardella stated that the party envisions two referendums during a presidential term: a first vote on immigration, followed by a second vote on Islamist ideology and public religious symbols. Bardella explained that the second referendum would encompass multiple measures beyond attire, setting up a broader debate on Islamism across French society.
Evolution of the party platform
The proposal to restrict religious attire in public has evolved across successive presidential campaigns. During her 2012 bid, Le Pen told Le Monde that she sought to ban both the veil and the kippah in streets, transport, and shops. In 2017, she advocated prohibiting all ostentatious religious symbols in public spaces, mirroring rules in French state schools. By July 2021, at the Perpignan party congress, Le Pen narrowed the proposal exclusively to the Islamic veil.
- Marine Le Pen advocates banning the veil and kippah across public spaces in Le Monde.
- Le Pen broadens her platform to ban all ostentatious religious symbols in public spaces.
- Le Pen narrows the party platform at the Perpignan congress to target only the Islamic veil.
- Jean-Philippe Tanguy states on television that wearing the veil will be penalized with fines.
- Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella propose a referendum on anti-Islamist legislation.
Internal party positioning
The initiative has exposed contrasting approaches within the party leadership. While Tanguy and Le Pen framed the fine as a settled objective, Bardella expressed caution on 31 August 2026, stating that the party does not intend to create a clothing police or enact an immediate ban on the morning after the election.
There will be a societal debate and we will propose, following this societal debate, a referendum in which the French will decide on this measure.
Bardella previously noted in 2025 that enforcing such a measure is complicated. Government figures also questioned the legal feasibility of the plan, noting that standard legislation would likely be struck down by the Constitutional Council without prior constitutional changes. Le Pen had also conceded in earlier debates that the issue is complex and requires progressive implementation.
Political reactions from opponents
The proposal prompted immediate criticism from left-wing and centrist figures. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, candidate for La France Insoumise, condemned the announcement on X, describing it as an expression of sexist and anti-Muslim obsessions. Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure likewise rejected the initiative. Horizons candidate and former prime minister Édouard Philippe argued that existing laws on religious attire remain sufficient.
There is a law that bans the full-face veil, and there is a law that bans the veil in schools. For my part, I consider that what matters is respecting the law as it exists today. And I do not believe that it is necessary to go further at this stage.
Philippe emphasized that French statutes already ban full-face coverings in public and religious symbols in schools. The debate coincides with other campaign proposals from Le Pen, including retirement at age 60 for long-career workers.
