French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken out against female athletes wearing headscarves during competitions. In an interview with TF1 television on Wednesday, he said he supported the Olympic Charter’s provisions prohibiting any religious symbols in sports arenas.
“There should be no place for religious symbols in competitions, regardless of their nature. This is a question of equality between men and women, equality for all,” Macron said in response to a question from French weightlifting champion Sylvie Eberena.
At the same time, he stressed that outside the context of competitions, in training and in sports halls, this issue remains the responsibility of the federations. “The law does not prevent this; a pragmatic approach is needed here,” he added.
In February, the French Senate voted to ban “the wearing of any sign or clothing clearly demonstrating political or religious affiliation” at all professional and amateur competitions at the regional and national levels organised by French sports federations. The bill still needs to be approved by a majority vote in the lower house of parliament (the National Assembly).
If approved by the Senate, the ban could apply to headscarves and some other everyday items of clothing worn by many people.
