Overview
- Mélenchon told La France insoumise militants in Paris that he had "changed his mind" and described his earlier opposition to the veil as a "grave error," citing conversations with women of different beliefs.
- He framed the veil as an act of faith rather than only a sign of oppression and said that those personal encounters convinced him to make anti‑Islamophobia a political priority.
- The statement came during a party conference held Wednesday and followed a renewed political push by the Rassemblement National to punish public wearing of the veil.
- At the same event Mélenchon instructed his supporters to stop replying to political opponents with insults on social media and to avoid sexist or abusive language.
- His reversal highlights a long shift in his stance since 2010 and 2017 and raises questions about how France’s secular, universalist traditions will be debated during the presidential campaign.