Former French Prime Minister François Bayrou has reversed his stance on banning the hijab in sports competitions, despite previously backing a Senate-approved bill aimed at prohibiting religious symbols in all sporting events.
During a National Assembly debate on Tuesday, Bayrou expressed reservations about the law, emphasizing the need to avoid stigmatizing Muslims in France. “We must not label nine million of our fellow Muslim citizens,” he told BFMTV.
Minister for Parliamentary Relations Patrick Mignola confirmed that the bill would not be included in the Assembly’s agenda, signaling the government’s reluctance to advance it. Bayrou’s shift comes after initially supporting the ban under political pressure, notably from Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Senator Bruno Retailleau.
The proposed law sought to prohibit religious attire in sports, enforce neutrality in public sports facilities, and uphold secular principles. Currently, hijab rules vary by sport, fueling ongoing debates about secularism in French athletics.
