France’s National Rally Pushes to Ban the Veil in Public Spaces, Says Sébastien Chenu on RTL
Sébastien Chenu of France's far-right National Rally reiterated calls for banning the Islamic veil in public spaces, advocating for expanding the 2004 law to cover all public institutions. His remarks ignite debate over freedom and constitutional challenges, aligning with the party's agenda for the 2027 elections amidst ongoing government divisions.
hassan benyoub 
Paris, March 23, 2025, 3:30 PM PDT – Sébastien Chenu, vice-president of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), reiterated the party’s hardline stance on banning the Islamic veil in public spaces during an interview on RTL’s Grand Jury program on Sunday. Amid ongoing divisions within Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government over the veil in sports, Chenu called for a gradual expansion of the 2004 French law to prohibit the veil in public buildings, universities, and eventually the streets, as reported by RTL.fr (web ID: 0) and shared on X by @RNFrance.
Chenu’s Vision for a Veil Ban
Chenu, speaking on Le Grand Jury RTL - Public Sénat - Le Figaro - M6, advocated amending the 2004 law, which bans religious symbols in public schools, to extend the prohibition to all public institutions, including administrations, public companies, and universities. “We need to evolve the 2004 law so that in all public buildings, we can move toward banning the veil,” he stated, per RTL.fr. RN President Jordan Bardella echoed this, pushing for a total ban in the public sphere, with a long-term goal of outlawing the veil in streets, aligning with the party’s 2027 platform, per Politico.eu (web ID: 1).
Chenu identified symbols like the burkini and burqa as “signs of Islamism,” arguing, “Once you identify these signs, you must ban them because they are tied to ideologies that are prohibited. Let’s ban Islamist ideology and the signs representing it.” He claimed many women wear the veil under pressure, describing it as “a sign of women’s inferiority and confinement,” incompatible with France’s secular republic. “In the long term, we want it to disappear from our society,” he added, clarifying that private settings would remain exempt, per RTL.fr.
Context of the Debate
The veil has been a contentious issue in France, with the government showing divisions this week over its use in sports, per Politico.eu. The RN’s stance revives Marine Le Pen’s 2022 campaign proposal to ban the veil in public, which she later acknowledged as complex, per Reuters (web ID: 2). Chenu’s comments follow a 2023 RTL interview where he denounced the hijab in football as “an advancement of political Islam,” per RTL.fr (web ID: 0). The RN’s push aligns with broader efforts to ban religious symbols in sports, as seen in a 2025 French Senate proposal supported by the government, per Politico.eu.
Public and Legal Implications
Chenu’s remarks have sparked debate, with critics on X, like @FranceLaique, arguing the proposal violates personal freedoms, while RN supporters, such as @Bardella2027, praise it as “defending French values.” Legal experts note that banning the veil in public spaces could face constitutional challenges, as seen in past debates over Le Pen’s 2022 proposal, per Reuters. France’s 1905 secularism law ensures religious freedom, but the RN frames the veil as a political, not religious, symbol, per RTL.fr.
