The government will discuss the ban on hijab in schools next week
The Austrian government will discuss next week the reintroduction of a law to ban the wearing of hijabs for girls in schools. This sensitive issue aims to address what the government sees as anti-democratic trends and violations of European values. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm drew inspiration from the French model in this context, having visited Paris and met with French officials from the conservative party 'Les Républicains'.
In official talks, Karner focused on enhancing the protection of the EU's external borders, implementing the migration and asylum agreement, and speeding up the deportation of irregular migrants. He also recently discussed these issues with his German counterpart Alexander Dobrindt.
Karner emphasized the importance of the partnership between France, Germany, and Austria in implementing the European Migration Pact with rigor and speed, while making adjustments to increase strictness and fairness in asylum policy across Europe.
As for Blackholm, it focused on combating extremism, anti-Semitism, and hate speech online, noting that France has been making progress in this area for years. An agreement was reached to launch a joint initiative at the next Council of Europe ministers meeting.
Although the issue of the hijab ban was not an official part of the discussions, Austria sees the French model as an inspiration, as France was the first European country to implement this ban more than twenty years ago. Blackholm considered that this cooperation between the ministries of interior and European integration is essential to address issues of immigration, asylum, extremism, and anti-Semitism, emphasizing that these challenges can only be faced collectively within Austria and at the European level.