Nicolas Sarkozy launches presidential bid with burkini ban pledge

Nicolas Sarkozy said he would impose a nationwide ban on burkinis if elected back to the presidency in 2017, positioning himself as a strong defender of French values and a leader tough on immigration.

He was speaking ahead of a ruling by France’s top administrative court which yesterday overturned a ban on burkinis in a Mediterranean town in a decision that should set legal precedent regarding a crackdown on full-body swimsuits that has divided the country.

Mr Sarkozy took a hard line, telling supporters in Chateaurenard, his first rally for the 2017 election, that the full-body swimwear should be banned throughout the country.