"Are We Supposed to Enforce a Dress Code?" Police in Disarray... Why the Leading Presidential Candidate is Risking Everything on a "Hijab Ban"

1. "If Elected, Hijab Ban in Public Places"
France will hold a presidential election next year. With candidates currently in the middle of their campaign trails, a leading presidential frontrunner has asserted that, if elected, she will push for legislation prohibiting the wearing of hijab in public spaces. Proponents around her are even discussing specific enforcement methods, such as imposing fines for violations. Because defining public spaces precisely can be somewhat ambiguous, this effectively amounts to telling Muslim women not to step outside their homes wearing a hijab. Who is the candidate making these remarks? It is Marine Le Pen of the National Rally, a party classified as far-right in France. She is not just any far-right candidate; she is leading the polls for next spring's presidential election by a wide margin. She stands a very high chance of becoming the first far-right president in French history. Last week, Le Pen wrote on her social media that the hijab emphasizes the subjugation of women and that she would push for a law banning it in public spaces. She also stated that she would pursue accompanying measures to prevent the spread of Islamism. Putting forward anti-immigration policies and heavily narrowing the definition of French citizenship down to ancestry, Marine Le Pen has once again brought out anti-Islam propaganda for this election. Centrist and progressive forces immediately rose in backlash. Criticism erupted, asking whether enforcing fines for wearing a hijab would require deploying police officers to monitor people's attire. Condemnations of excessive discrimination and divisive policies also followed.

[Glucksmann / French Center-Left Presidential Candidate: We do not use specific groups as subjects for wordplay. Nor do we constantly divide society by exploiting identity conflicts.]

Even the police union stepped up, criticizing Le Pen by stating, "We do not have the bandwidth for such tasks."

2. "I Will Call a Referendum"... Why Marine Le Pen is Fueling the Fire
However, Le Pen is pushing to put this to a national referendum. Instead of simply passing a bill through parliament, she is pulling out the referendum card to further fuel the controversy. The reason she brought up a referendum is simple: it would be difficult to pass in parliament. This is Le Pen's fourth run for the presidency. During previous elections, when she lost to Emmanuel Macron, she also pledged a hijab ban. Even after losing the election, the National Rally submitted related bills to parliament, but they failed to clear the legislative threshold. Therefore, she has expressed her intent to bypass parliamentary opposition by using the referendum method. Numerous scholars state that banning the hijab, which touches on freedom of religion, cannot be subject to a referendum. They note that even if it were submitted, it is highly likely to be ultimately struck down by institutions akin to the Constitutional Council. Despite this, Le Pen is pushing ahead once more in this election. Why? Because of public opinion. When the hijab issue became controversial, a polling agency conducted a survey on September 2. As a result, 60 percent of the French public favored banning the hijab in public spaces. Fifty-three percent responded that fines should be imposed. Among respondents supporting the National Rally, an overwhelming 92 percent expressed agreement. In particular, opposition to wearing the hijab was higher among female respondents. With public opinion polling this way, Le Pen cannot stop advocating for a hijab ban. Nevertheless, things have been relatively quiet this week. Facing fierce backlash and criticism over establishing a dress code police, she has dialed back the open clashes. However, because anti-immigration and anti-Islam policies are core tenets of the French far-right, she will continue to push these arguments whenever possible leading up to next year's election.

3. Germany Also Shocked by Far-Right Landslide
This is not just France's situation, however. Neighboring Germany is currently in turmoil. A state parliamentary election was held in a central region with a population of about 2.5 million, and the far-right emerged as the party winning the most votes in the state assembly. This happened over the weekend during the state parliament election in Saxony-Anhalt. A party called Alternative for Germany, or AfD, won the largest share at 44 percent. This is double its showing from five years ago. This German party is far more extreme than Le Pen's National Rally, to a degree that makes comparison impossible. Not only does it advocate banning the hijab, but it also refuses to recognize Islam in Germany altogether. Its stance on immigration is ultra-hardline, arguing for the abolition of the right to asylum and the deportation of existing immigrants. It even calls for leaving the EU, immediately lifting sanctions against Russia, and making the Russian language mandatory in education. It has gone so far as to call the establishment of monuments reflecting on the Nazi Holocaust a disgrace. Things reached a point where a special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Germany on waking up, calling the election a historic victory. While France's Le Pen represents a far-right that stays within certain bounds, it is fair to say this party has crossed that line. Such a far-right party has become the largest party in a state with a population exceeding 2 million. The problem is that its influence is gradually expanding; currently, in former East Germany, the AfD places first in public opinion polls across almost all surveys, unlike in West Germany. While West Germany does not match the level of far-right support seen in East Germany, meaning the party does not rank first nationwide in Germany as a whole, the AfD already secured the second-highest vote count in the last general election. It has already transformed into a major political force. Now, the situation is looking even more ominous. The current German chancellor has stepped up to criticize the AfD, and protests against the party are spreading across various parts of Germany. Yet this trend is not limited to France and Germany. Voices of far-right forces are growing louder across all of Europe. Far-right factions are on the rise in the UK, Spain, and Sweden as well. The real challenge lies next year. Next year features a dense lineup of major elections in Europe, including the French presidential election, the German federal election, the Spanish general election, and the Italian general election. While it is still early to make predictions, one thing is certain: policies and pledges such as hijab bans will be pushed more aggressively than ever, making the upcoming elections more turbulent than ever before.

Reported by Kwon Yeongin | Produced by SBS Digital News | Video by Kim Si-nae | Video Editing by Ryu Ji-su | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.