Grenoble: the city council votes to authorize the burkini in municipal swimming pools

29 votes for, 27 against: after 2h30 of debate, the new internal regulations of the municipal swimming pool of Grenoble (Isère) were adopted, Monday, May 16. From June 1, women will be able to bathe topless, and the burkini will be authorized. Mayor Éric Piolle (EELV), who is leading this project, is delighted with a multiple victory. While nothing in the 1905 law prohibits the wearing of religious clothing in public space, the mayor’s vision has provoked a tense debate.

13 elected representatives of the majority, such as the municipal councilor Amel Zenati, have also expressed their disagreement. “To our meaning is a step back”regrets Amel Zenati in the face of “all the work and all the fights that have been carried out to obtain achievements for women”. The elected representatives of the opposition denounce the pressure of religious associations. The prefect of Isère intends to seize the administrative court of Grenoble. The president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez, announces that subsidies to the town hall will be cut.