Andorra Endavant Proposes Ban on Full Face Coverings in Public Spaces

Andorra Endavant, a parliamentary group, has submitted a bill to the General Council to ban full face coverings in public spaces and certain establishments for the first time in the Principality. The 46-page proposal, containing 31 articles, targets facial identifiability in public areas while aiming to protect women's dignity, freedom, and effective equality.

The initiative stems from concerns raised by merchants, particularly in Escaldes-Engordany parish, over increasing instances of people entering shops with their faces fully covered. Andorra Endavant argues that visual identification builds trust, enhances security, and supports interactions among clients, traders, and residents in a nation reliant on commerce, tourism, and services.

The party insists the measure targets any complete face covering, regardless of reason, and applies equally to all without singling out religions or communities. Exceptions cover health issues, work requirements, sports, weather conditions, or security needs. It also addresses potential coercion behind such coverings, providing public authorities with tools to intervene and safeguard women from oppression.

A tiered penalty system accompanies the rules: minor offences carry fines of €100-300, serious ones €300-1,000, and very serious ones €1,000-3,000. For a first minor breach, authorities may issue a formal warning instead if the violation is immediately corrected.

The bill now enters parliamentary processing. The Sindicatura must first approve it for tramitation, after which the government will issue its opinion. Andorra Endavant hopes for a positive response to enable debate on an issue it links to public safety, social cohesion, and fundamental rights.

The group maintains the legislation strikes a balance between individual freedoms, women's dignity, citizen security, and public identification in a modern, open, tourist-driven society. An editorial in El Periòdic d'Andorra calls for measured debate on the proposal's proportionality, stressing evidence-based assessment over perceptions when fundamental rights are at stake.