The CDU’s Women’s Union wants a complete ban on face coverings in public and plans to adopt it as the party’s official stance at the national conference at the end of February, according to “Bild”‘s Monday edition, citing an amendment to the party platform.
“People must refuse a general ban on covering in public spaces” the “Bild” article quotes from the amendment. The Women’s Union demands a prohibition on wearing “clothing or coverings that fully or largely cover the face”. The amending members specifically name the burka, niqab and other comparable face coverings.
The amendment frames a veil ban as a “clear sign for women’s self‑determination and against all forms of forced covering”. It argues that permanent veiling hinders integration and creates parallel structures. “The ability to identify people in public is crucial for threat prevention, police work and the proper functioning of state institutions” the Women’s Union states.
It adds that such a prohibition can stand in court, citing similar bans that have been introduced in several European countries-including France, Belgium and Austria-and that have been upheld by national supreme courts and the European Court of Human Rights.
