The CDU Women's Union has submitted a motion to ban the burka and niqab in public spaces ahead of the party congress. Coalition partner SPD opposes it, warning against patronizing women. The debate revives old controversies over women's rights and freedoms.
In Berlin, the CDU Women's Union has reignited the debate on banning full veiling in public spaces. For the Christian Democrats' federal party congress on February 20 and 21 in Stuttgart, a motion was submitted to prohibit wearing 'burka, niqab and comparable face veils.' One of the initiators, Zemfira Dlovani from the Women's Union federal board, explained to the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND): 'You see more and more women veiling in Germany – not just in big cities, but also in smaller ones. We should not allow that. We have fought too long for women's rights in this country.' She stressed that seeing the face is part of social interaction and that it concerns women's rights, not religious freedom. There is no obligation for Muslim women to veil; it is practiced only in radical groups. 'It is overdue to address this issue.' The motion receives support from the women in the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag. Mechthild Heil (CDU), chair of the group, told the RND: 'As a woman, I find complete face veiling in public spaces alienating.' A ban would be a commitment to self-determination, equality, and security. 'We should stand up for our values – the burka signals a deliberate turn away from them.' The motion argues that a ban would signal against forced veiling and promote integration. Veiling creates parallel structures and hinders identifiability for police and security. However, the demand faces resistance from coalition partner SPD. Carmen Wegge, chair of the SPD women and legal policy spokesperson, stated: 'It is important that women live self-determined and free, without patronizing or pressuring them. A general ban on full veiling would not do justice to these demands.' No woman should be forced to wear something she does not want. Germany has seen repeated debates on such a ban without results. Human rights organizations like Amnesty International criticize it as an interference with fundamental freedoms; legal experts doubt its constitutionality. Some federal states have rules for officials or schools, while France and Belgium have general bans. Even a party congress decision by the CDU would complicate implementation without SPD approval.
