GETTY Nicolas Sarkozy banned the burka while in power but wants to outlaw all headscarves

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The 61-year-old had already banned the burka in France during his last presidency six years ago, and promised to go one step further if he won another term. Promising "strict gender equality", he told a French radio station: "On French soil, we don't accept inequalities between men and women. "No headscarves, no burkinis, no specific swimming times at the public pools, and strict equality when it comes to the rights and of men and women — that is the French republic."

He added: "We have a national identity, a way of life. There are countries in the world where women can't drive. "If you want to live there you can go live there. In the Republic of France, we do not accept that." In response to a question about whether he would outlaw Muslim headscarves entirely he said "exactly".

GETTY/STOCK If he is elected the former statesman would outlaw hijabs

GETTY Women who wear burkas in France face fines of up to £130

On French soil, we don't accept inequalities between men and women Nicolas Sarkozy

One of Sarkozy's aides later confirmed his campaign team are working on a policy which would also ban the French from wearing religious symbols. He said: "We are working on a text that would forbid the wearing of signs and emblems that belong to an ideology that calls for inequality." The former statesman's burka ban sees women caught hiding their face in public fined up to £130 and men who force their wives to wear one can be forced to cough up up to £25,000.

GETTY France is currently divided over burkinis which are banned in some areas

GETTY Nicolas Sarkozy is still not as popular with French voters as Marine Le Pen