A majority of French people support a ban on organizations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. According to a new survey, 53% of respondents are in favor, 23% opposed, and 24% did not express an opinion.
The research, published as an Ifop survey for the magazine Écran de veille, shows French Muslims are divided on the issue, with 38% supporting the ban, 43% opposing it, and 19% undecided. They were also split on the potential effects: 48% said it could reduce conflation between Islam and Islamism, while 47% believe it could strengthen national cohesion and respect for the laws of the Republic. At the same time, 51% think it would not reduce communitarianism.
Opponents cited concerns about discrimination against Muslims (41%) and the possible emergence of radical Islamist currents, although 49% and 57% respectively disagreed.
Age, gender, and location also affected opinions. Young Muslims (aged 15–24) were more likely to support the ban (47%), while those over 50 mostly opposed it (54%). Men were more likely than women to favor the ban (62% vs. 43%). Support for the ban crossed political lines, with majorities among voters for Valérie Pécresse (83%), Eric Zemmour (69%), Marine Le Pen (54%), Emmanuel Macron (54%), and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (54%).
The survey follows the recent vote in the French National Assembly, in which French MPs voted in favour of a resolution against the Muslim Brotherhood, classifying it as a terrorist organisation.
Centre-right Les Républicains secured a resolution calling on the European Commission to classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The resolution was passed with votes from the government, the centre, and centre-right, as well as by the Rassemblement National (RN)—proof that on the issue of the fight against Islamism, a consensus can be reached between parties that struggle to find common ground on other issues.
