Emmanuel Macron has vowed to intensify the government's response to what he describes as «Islamist infiltration». During a Defense Council meeting held on Monday, July 7, the French president approved a series of measures targeting associations suspected of promoting Islamist ideology through actions that are legally permissible but considered contrary to republican values, according to Le Monde. Among the new measures, Macron announced plans to extend asset freezes, previously limited to terrorism-related cases, to certain civil society organizations. Additional steps include stricter oversight of donations, penalties for violating the republican values contract, and the confiscation of assets from dissolved groups. The objective, according to the Elysée: to «dissolve more, and dissolve faster». This crackdown follows the submission of a confidential report on the Muslim Brotherhood to the Elysée in May, which described a strategy of «gaining influence from the ground up». Reportedly unsatisfied with his government's initial proposals, Macron has pushed for more «ambitious» actions. «It's a quietly spreading Islamism that's seeking to infiltrate sports, cultural, social, and other associations», said Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who has been accused of leaking the report to steer the public debate. However, ambiguity remains over the criteria for targeting these associations. «The infiltration operates within the boundaries of legality», a senior official told Le Monde. If implemented, the proposed measures are expected to spark intense debate in an already deeply polarized National Assembly.
