The RN intends to move ahead with a proposed law that states as its aim “to combat Islamist ideologies”. It includes measures to make it easier to close mosques and deport imams deemed to be radicalised, and a ban on clothing that “constitute in themselves an unequivocal and ostentatious affirmation” of Islamist ideology. Bardella said this would include various types of veils and the so-called burkini, or head-to-toe swimwear. “The veil is not desirable in French society,” he said. “The battle is in part legislative, but is also a cultural battle that needs to be pursued.”
Some of the RN’s economic proposals remain unfunded and scant on detail, such as cutting income tax for those under 30 to combat brain drain and the repeal “in principle” of Macron’s retirement age increase from 62 to 64. Bardella wants to undertake an audit of public finances before deciding spending priorities in the autumn.
But he said his first move if the RN takes power would be to boost working-class people’s purchasing power by cutting value added tax on energy and petrol, which he says would cost €12bn a year. Funding is to come from taxing windfall profits of energy companies, closing tax loopholes on maritime shipping companies, and cutting France’s annual contribution to the EU budget by €2bn, he said.
