French Prime Minister Defends Veil-Wearing on School Trips Amid Secularism Debate

"One can wear a veil when accompanying a school outing." This is how Edouard Philippe tried to put an end to the new controversy that has been raging for a few days on the wearing of the veil.

The Prime Minister was at the National Assembly where he was responding to the (LR) deputy, Jean-Louis Masson, who had raised the ambiguity of the Government on the issue of secularism.

For the occupant of Matignon, "the challenge today is not to pass a law on school chaperones. The challenge is to effectively combat communitarian drifts with the support of all our fellow citizens," he hammered.

According to him, the references of the rule of law are precise: "One can wear a veil when accompanying a school outing but one does not have the right to proselytize and the authorities can and must intervene if that is the case".