The Council of State examines this Tuesday in Paris the appeal filed by the municipality of Grenoble (Isère), after the suspension by the administrative court of the city of the authorization of the burkini in the municipal swimming pools, which had triggered a national controversy.

The administrative court of Grenoble had ordered this suspension on May 25, after the filing by the prefect of Isère of a "secularism referral" aimed at article 10 of the new swimming pool regulations of the city, authorizing the use of burkini type swimsuits.

The principle of neutrality questioned

The judges had considered that the article in question would allow users to derogate "from the general rule of the obligation to wear close-fitting outfits to allow certain users to free themselves from this rule for religious purposes", and that its authors had thereby "seriously undermined the principle of public service neutrality".

Eric Piolle, the environmentalist mayor of Grenoble, immediately announced his intention to appeal the suspension to the Council of State.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin hailed the suspension as "excellent news", permitted "thanks to the tools" of the law against "separatism" of August 24, 2021. This procedure, known as the "secular referral", allows the prefects to seize the administrative judge as a matter of urgency in the face of an act by a local authority that they consider contrary to the principles of secularism.

A narrowly adopted regulation

The principle of the prefecture's request had been announced on May 15, on the eve of the examination by the Grenoble city council of a new regulation in municipal swimming pools opening the door to the burkini.

This regulation had been adopted by a narrow majority, some allies of the environmentalist mayor dissociating themselves from the project against the backdrop of a national political storm.

The right and the extreme right had in particular again asked for more “supervision” of the wearing of the burkini via a law.

On the side of the majority, the deputy Pierre-Yves Bournazel (Horizons) had also considered that “the burkini is not the best promotion of equality between women and men”.

The summer opening of the municipal swimming pools of Grenoble is scheduled from June 25 to August 28.

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Grenoble: The city council adopts the wearing of the burkini in municipal swimming pools

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Burkini in municipal swimming pools: Grenoble files an appeal before the Council of State

  • Company

  • Burkinis

  • Swimming pool

  • Board of state

  • Law

  • Grenoble

  • Isere

  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes