FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Austria’s coalition government announced the ban on the burka and niqab in public spaces such as courts and schools on Monday in a bid to counter the rise of the far-right Freedom Party, whose candidate nearly won last month’s presidential vote. The ruling Social Democratic party (SPÖ) and the centre-right Austrian People’s party (ÖVP) is also considering a more general ban on civil servants wearing religious symbols. The agreement said: "We believe in an open society that is also based on open communication. Full-body veils in public spaces stand against that and will therefore be prohibited.”

GETTY STOCK IMAGES Burka ban - Austria has outlawed full face veils raising questions over Christian symbols

The wearing of religious symbols can be against a certain principle of neutrality Harald Mahrer

The term used would apply to the Muslim burka and niqab, which cover all or most of the face. It was not immediately clear whether the ban would include other non-Muslim garments. Austria, a predominantly Catholic country, is home to around 600,000 Muslims in a total population of about 8.7million. ÖVP Secretary Harald Mahrer said: “We are 100 per cent united in the federal government that Austria is a liberal constitutional state of the West and a Western-oriented democracy, and in the presence of the state authority the wearing of religious symbols can be against a certain principle of neutrality”.

AFP Muna Duzdar asked if the law will be extended to Christian symbols

He added “it is about wearing the symbols” rather than crosses being hung on the walls of schools. Muslim MP and SPÖ member Muna Duzdar has now asked if the law will be extended to remove crosses from the walls of Austrian schools and courtrooms. Ms Duzdar told Kronen Zeitung the government must be questioned on what it means by “neutrality”.

GETTY STOCK IMAGE Austria’s coalition government announced the ban on the burka and niqab in public spaces

GETTY STOCK IMAGE The coalition is considering a more general ban on civil servants wearing religious symbols

She said: "The principle of neutrality is not a headscarf ban." The SPÖ secretary said she intended to discuss the matter with all religious communities. She said: “The ÖVP has asked for a headscarf ban, and we said we would like to discuss the relationship between religion and the state.”

These countries have BANNED the burka Mon, February 20, 2017 Several European countries have banned full-face veils since France's controversial law in 2011 Play slideshow GETTY 1 of 14 Switzerland: The region of Ticino voted in favour of a ban in a referendum