Mayor Collboni’s remarks came during an interview on RTVE’s “Cafè d’idees” programme. He expressed his personal discomfort with the full-face veil, framing it as an issue of female identity and freedom.


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However, the mayor stopped short of calling for a complete prohibition. He cautioned that a ban “would not achieve the objective” of ensuring women can freely decide how to dress. This nuanced position suggests a preference for a regulatory framework over a punitive one, acknowledging the risk that an outright ban could further isolate women who are coerced into wearing the veil, potentially confining them to their homes.

A National Debate Echoes in the City

Collboni’s comments land amid a rekindled national conversation on the issue. Just this week, Spain’s Congress of Deputies rejected a bill from the far-right party Vox that sought to prohibit the burqa and niqab in all public spaces. The proposal was supported only by the People’s Party (PP).

In a strategic move, the Catalan pro-independence party Junts voted against the Vox initiative but immediately tabled its own alternative bill. While also seeking to regulate the full-face veil, the Junts proposal is described as less punitive, aiming to guarantee public security and equality without directly criminalizing women who may be victims of coercion.

Barcelona’s History with Face Veils

The debate is not new to Barcelona. In 2010, the Barcelona City Council, under then-Mayor Jordi Hereu, approved an ordinance banning the use of the burqa, niqab, and any face-covering helmets in municipal public spaces such as offices, markets, libraries, and civic centres. At the time, officials cited public safety and identification needs as the primary rationale.

The current discussion, however, appears more focused on the ideological and social implications of the garments, aligning with a broader European debate on religious symbols in the public sphere.

The mayor’s statements on the burqa were part of a wide-ranging interview where he also touched upon other key policy areas concerning public order and housing. He defended the city’s new civility ordinance, which includes tougher enforcement and new tools to ensure fines are paid by tourists for infractions like public drinking. Read more about Barcelona’s new civility fines here.

On housing, Collboni advocated for a controversial measure to prohibit non-EU citizens from purchasing property if it is not for their primary residence, specifically targeting speculative investment. “In a housing crisis situation like the one the country and Barcelona are experiencing… non-community members should not be able to buy housing,” he remarked.

As Collboni’s administration navigates these complex issues, from immigration and public conduct to housing affordability, his call to regulate the burqa adds another sensitive and deeply symbolic topic to Barcelona’s political agenda.

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