Women who wear the burqa--the all-encompassing garment with a mesh over the eyes and worn by traditional Muslim women--in public places will be fined Euro 750 (USD 1000) under laws being considered in France.
Men, who force their wives or other female members of their families to cover their faces, will be fined double the amount.
Lawmakers are set to vote on the proposal this month following a long and impassioned debate over the merits of outlawing the burka and niqab--a full-body veil with eye slits.
The move is coming ahead of the release at the end of the month of a much-awaited report by a parliamentary panel that conducted six months of hearings on the issue.
Jean-Francois Copé, president of Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling UMP Party in parliament, is set to introduce the draft law in the National Assembly. Sarkozy had said veils were 'not welcome' as they intimidated and alienated non-Muslims, especially in secular France.
Asserting that the new legislation was intended to protect the 'dignity' and 'security' of women, he added that wearing either would be tolerated only under exceptional circumstances, such as "cultural events or carnivals."
Copé, who insists the law is based on considerations of public safety as also sexual equality and does not restrict religious practices, said the committee has consulted religious and secular figures who all confirmed [the burka] is not a religious prescription.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.