French President Macron Supports Ban on Headscarves in Sports Competitions

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for banning headscarves in sports competitions during an interview with TF1 on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reported.

Macron referenced the Olympic Charter, which prohibits the wearing of religious symbols during competitions, emphasizing that sports events are not appropriate venues for such displays. He clarified that while practicing sports in facilities can allow religious symbols, the decision to ban headscarves in competitions falls under the jurisdiction of each sports federation.

Macron called for “pragmatism,” noting that French law currently does not prohibit headscarves in sports. He also addressed the possibility of holding referendums on key national issues, including immigration, pension reform, assisted dying, and public finances. While he rejected a referendum to repeal the recent pension reform raising the retirement age to 64 and doubted the effectiveness of a referendum on immigration, Macron did not rule out referendums on assisted dying in case of political deadlock and on public finances.