Paris, France – A new French government report, presented to President Emmanuel Macron in May 2025, has raised significant concerns by alleging widespread infiltration of the Muslim Brotherhood into the nation's schools, politics, and civil institutions. The report claims this infiltration is part of a long-term strategy to "Islamize" France and undermine national cohesion, marking a shift from a hidden threat to an institutional one. According to the tweet from Eyal Yakoby, the report asserts, "> The threat is no longer hidden—it’s institutional."
The 73-page document, compiled by two senior civil servants, details a policy of "entryism" by the Muslim Brotherhood into public bodies. It identifies the Federation of Muslims of France (FMF), formerly the Union of Islamic Organizations of France, as the main French emanation of the historic Muslim Brotherhood. The report states the FMF controls 139 places of worship and is affiliated with 68 others, representing approximately 7% of France's total mosques.
Beyond religious sites, the report indicates the FMF runs around 280 associations across sports, education, and charity sectors, alongside 21 schools. This "municipal Islamism" aims to gradually impose Islamic social norms and influence policies, particularly concerning secularism and gender equality, by establishing what it terms "increasingly numerous Islamist ecosystems." Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau expressed concern, stating that the ultimate goal of this "low-level Islamism" is to shift French society towards Sharia law.
However, the report also notes that "no recent document demonstrates the desire of Muslims in France to establish an Islamic state in France or to enforce Sharia law there." Critics, including some academics and Muslim community representatives, have denounced the report's "alarmist" tone, arguing it risks creating a climate of "constant suspicion" around French Muslims. Groups named in the report, like Musulmans de France, deny belonging to the Brotherhood and reject the allegations of seeking to transform French society into an Islamic state.
President Macron has ordered the government to draw up proposals in light of the report's findings, which underscore a perceived "subtle yet no less subversive aim for the institutions." The report suggests the Muslim Brotherhood is targeting Europe, backed by funding from countries like Turkey and Qatar, after losing influence in the Middle East and North Africa. This development reignites the ongoing debate in France regarding secularism and the integration of its large Muslim population.