• The Council of State examined Tuesday the appeal of the city of Grenoble which challenges the cancellation of its new swimming pool regulations by the administrative court.

  • This regulation authorized the wearing of all types of close-fitting swimsuits, including burkinis.

  • During the hearing, Eric Piolle, mayor of Grenoble, exhibited different swimsuits and burkinis to demonstrate the validity of his settlement.

The Council of State examined Tuesday the appeal filed by the city of Grenoble after the suspension by the administrative court of its new regulations for municipal swimming pools.

A regulation which was to lift all prohibitions, authorizing, in fact, the wearing of the burkini.

During the hearing, the mayor of Grenoble, Eric Piolle did not hesitate to launch into a real presentation.

Brandishing alternately burkinis as well as different models of swimsuits, some with a skirt, the elected official wanted to show that they were generally accepted in the municipal swimming pool and not necessarily worn for religious reasons.

The mayor then went on a technical rant about which shirts should be worn close to the body because water pooling in a looser outfit could make it harder to 'tow' someone in distress.

Until the "mid-thigh", this does not pose a problem, specifies Eric Piolle.

“Why are shorts prohibited?

“Questions with skepticism the representative of the State Pascale Léglise.

“Hygiene”, replies the person concerned before his interlocutor suggests that he “demand that they [bathers] put it on the spot.

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Violation of the principle of secularism and neutrality

The burkini had already been the subject of a national controversy in the summer of 2016, when around thirty cities had banned them on their beaches.

Before the Council of State cancels their decisions deemed disproportionate.

This time, "it is not a question of manifesting a religious expression in the public space", advances the representative of the State, but "well of talking about the adaptation of a rule", of a public service “for the sole purpose of satisfying religious interests” – which she says undermines her principle of neutrality and secularism.

“Obviously”, she underlines, the “context” of Islamist “entryism”, “separatism” and the “wave of terrorism” must be taken into account.

“Public service is for everyone”

"The public service is for everyone," retorts the lawyer for the city of Grenoble, Me Olivier Coudray.

The new swimming pool regulations "do nothing preferential", "do not compromise the proper functioning of the service: it simply allows more people to take advantage of it".

Our file on the burkini

But for the League of Human Rights (LDH) and the association Citizen Alliance, which fought in Grenoble for the authorization of the burkini, the "users" of the public service have the right to "show their religious affiliation through their dress.

The burkini is "neither more nor less" than the transcription of the scarf at the swimming pool or at the sea, argues Marion Ogier for Citizen Alliance.

“It is a controversy that goes far beyond simple legal issues”, assures Patrice Spinosi in turn for the LDH, denouncing a “coup of force of the State” on the definition of the limits of secularism.

The decision will be made in the next few days.

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

  • Company

  • Justice

  • Burkinis

  • Secularism

  • Eric Piolle

  • Grenoble

  • Isere

  • Swimming pool

  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes