Macron's party calls for ban on girls' headscarves

France could ban girls aged 15 and under from wearing a Muslim headscarf in public in its latest attempt to stop the proliferation of radical Islam.

The ban has been suggested by the Renaissance party, which was founded by the nation's president, Emmanuel Macron, but it will need approval from parliament before it can become law.

The party, which finished second in the 2024 elections for the National Assembly with 25 percent of the vote and 98 seats in the 577-seat parliament, said a ban on headscarves would slow the spread of "political Islamism" in France.

The centrist party also said a ban would be good for gender equality, and help protect minors.

Opponents have said the state should not dictate how people follow their religions.

Macron met with senior officials on Wednesday to discuss the suggestion, which was contained in a report on radical Islamization that also described the Muslim Brotherhood political party as a "threat to national cohesion" in France that could undermine "the fabric of society and republican institutions", the Agence France-Presse news agency reported.

After the meeting, Macron's office, the Elysee Palace, said measures will be taken to tackle the threats highlighted in the report, "some of which will be announced".

The Elysee Palace said the report "clearly establishes the anti-republican and subversive nature of the Muslim Brotherhood" and "proposes ways to address this threat".

If passed, the headscarf ban would extend beyond public streets, to cafes, parks, and stores.

The Renaissance party, which is led by former prime minister Gabriel Attal, has said a new law would be accompanied by a new criminal offense aimed at parents who force their daughters aged 15 and under to wear a veil.

But while Renaissance is part of France's minority government led by Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, it is a junior partner and may not be able to win the support of a majority of lawmakers.

Critics, including Jordan Bardella, a leader of France's far-right National Rally party, have accused the Renaissance party of adopting the stance on headscarves and the Muslim Brotherhood in a bid to win back votes lost to the far-right at the last election.

Bardella added on France Inter radio: "If we come to power tomorrow, we will ban the Muslim Brotherhood."

The government has previously banned religious clothing from schools and is attempting to ban headscarves from domestic sports competitions.

Opponents of the moves have said the meddling smacks of anti-Islam sentiment at the heart of government.

"Islamophobia has crossed a line," hard-left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon wrote on X.

Melenchon, who leads the La France Insoumise party, said the Renaissance party is now endorsing "the delusional theories" of the far-right.