Sarkozy’s Hard Line on Burkini Shows Him Betting on French Right
- Former president pledges nationwide ban on Muslim beachwear
- Polls show close race with Sarkozy in sync with party base
Supporters of Nicolas Sarkozy, wear t-shirts reading 'Here it's Sarkozy !' during a meeting in Le Touquet, on Aug. 27, 2016.
Photographer: Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty ImagesNicolas Sarkozy and Alain Juppe, the front runners in the race for the presidential nomination of France’s Republican party, scrapped over the politics of Islamic beachwear using identity politics to stake out their positions in an increasingly close contest.
After a top court last week struck down a local a ban on the body-covering burkinis on France’s Mediterranean coast, Sarkozy said Monday that he would change the constitution to allow nationwide prohibition of the garments if he returns to the presidency in May next year. Juppe, a former prime minister who held a major campaign rally Saturday, called for restraint and warned against extremist politics.