RN Councillor Prays and Wields Cross in Ivry Council After Ban Proposal Is Rejected

Overview

• The episode occurred on Thursday, June 11, when RN councillor Kevin Nader loudly recited “Je vous salue Marie,” brandished a cross and declared future meetings would be “under the sign of the cross” after his amendment to ban religious signs in the council failed.
• Mayor Philippe Bouyssou angrily condemned the stunt and said he would seize the Val‑de‑Marne prefect, a step that could trigger a formal review of the councillor’s conduct and the council’s internal rules.
• French national law does not explicitly ban elected officials from wearing religious signs in council chambers, but municipalities may set rules and recent administrative rulings have trended toward upholding local bans.
• Two left‑wing councillors, Estelle Boufala and Fenda Diarra, have for years sat in Ivry’s assembly wearing the Islamic veil, and video of Nader’s action was widely shared on social media, sharpening political tensions.
• The next developments to watch are the prefect’s response and any legal challenges to local internal rules, which could clarify how laïcité is enforced at the municipal level and influence similar disputes elsewhere.