Statements of presidential candidates in France on headscarf and immigration policies

Retailleau announced his promises within the scope of next year's presidential elections on the French channel BFMTV, where he was a guest.

Stating that if she wins the election, she will impose a headscarf ban in sports activities, school trips and universities, Retailleau promised to "dissolve the organizations affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood in the country."

Former Interior Minister Retailleau argued that the headscarf ban cannot be implemented in practice in public spaces, and that security forces cannot easily distinguish between women who wear headscarves for "ideological reasons" or health problems such as cancer.

Retailleau stated that he wanted to reduce immigration and that if he was elected president, he would add to the constitution that "France has Judeo-Christian roots".

- Former Prime Minister Attal opposes the headscarf ban in public spaces

Presidential candidate of the centre-right Renaissance Party and former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, in his statement to the same channel, expressed his "opposition" to the headscarf ban in public spaces.

Attal said she wants all women in France to have the right to choose in this matter.

Attal, who served as the minister of education in France in 2023-2024, banned students from wearing long dresses called "abaya" in schools in 2023.