According to the left-wing former Green Party leader to take office in January said freedom of expression is a fundamental right.
“It is every woman’s right to always dress how she wants, that is my opinion on the matter,” he announced to an audience of school pupils.
“And it is not only Muslim women, all women can wear a headscarf, and if this real and rampant Islamaphobia continues, there will come a day where we must ask all women to wear a headscarf – all – out of solidarity to those who do it for religious reasons.”
Mr Van der Bellen in response to a question from a young school going girl who argued a ban of Islamic headscarves or veils would reduce women to their appearance rather than achievement, and shut some out of the labour market.
Though, his comments were made in March but surfaced after being broadcast on Austrian television while ongoing debates in the country and neighboring Germany about 'burqa bans'.