French Lawmaker Slams Veil Ban Debate, Citing Discrimination Against Muslim Women

What should have been a brief amendment lasted more than two hours. Endless discussions that did not allow the deputies to agree on whether or not to ban the wearing of any religious symbol for polling station staff, as is already the case for political symbols. The proposal came from the MoDem, a partner of the majority.

"Strangely, it’s always women we talk about, and their attire" [...] You make me want to vomit," said the outraged deputy. This was enough to unleash passions on the "respect of the principles of the Republic," examined in second reading since Monday in the National Assembly, reports Ouest France.

For François Pupponi (MoDem), it is a matter of respecting the texts of the republic and not a persecution. "We propose that all members of a polling station be required to be neutral, including religiously, regardless of their faith," he pleaded.

Representing the government at this session, Minister Marlène Schiappa called for "not fueling a spiral of stigmatization and hatred." She stressed that as soon as a substitute replaced the president of the polling station, he was already required to remove any religious symbol.