Italy could beat France to a burqa ban, although members of the ruling center-right coalition were divided over whether it would be a wise decision.
Early this week, a parliamentary panel in France recommended limiting the use of the full veil, although the recommendation has not been debated by parliament or become law yet.
Italian government officials point out that they already have a 1975 anti-terrorism law on the books banning the use in public places of helmets and hoods that hide one’s identity.
While the Italian Minister for Equal Opportunity, Mara Carfagna, said she supported the French recommendation, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini argued that there are better ways to promote integration.
Italy’s anti-immigrant Northern League proposed a burqa ban in a bill last October, but it has not yet been debated by Parliament.
A burqa ban in Italy would be largely symbolic, since the full veil is hardly ever seen in the country. Even in France, which is about 10 percent Muslim, estimates are that fewer than 2,000 women wear the full veil.
The debate began in France after President Nicholas Sarkozy said the burqa was “not welcome” in the country, and the immigration minister said it was contrary to French values.