Édouard Philippe sparks controversy over colonization and veil ban

French politician Édouard Philippe has sparked controversy following comments regarding the nature of colonization. During a television appearance, the leader of the Horizons party stated that while he does not favor colonization and acknowledged that “abominable crimes” were committed in places such as Madagascar and Sétif, he does not believe that colonization, in and of itself, constitutes a crime. He compared the historical period to war, suggesting that while war involves many crimes, the act of war itself is not defined as a crime.

Separately, Philippe criticized a proposal by the Rassemblement National (RN) to ban the veil in public spaces. He described the measure as “unconstitutional,” “dangerous,” and “totally illegitimate.” Philippe argued that respect for secularism (laïcité) must include both the neutrality of public officials and the religious freedom of citizens. He expressed a desire to avoid confrontation with French citizens of the Muslim faith and noted that such a ban would be “totally inapplicable.”