France ‘must act’ to stop attacks – Sarkozy

In the wake of the attack in Nice, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has criticised the government for not doing enough to provide security.

The centre-right opposition leader called for any foreign nationals with links to radical Islam to be expelled from France.

More than 80 people died when an attacker ploughed a lorry into people celebrating Bastille Day on Thursday.

Eighty-five people remain in hospital, 18 of them in critical condition.

Many survivors are still waiting for news of their loved ones. Only 35 bodies have so far been officially identified.

Prosecutors say painstaking measures are needed to avoid errors of identification.

Speaking to French television, Sarkozy said “Democracy must not be weak, nor simply commemorate. Democracy must say ‘We will win the war’.”

He said he supported stronger measures like expulsion of radicalised Muslims, and electronic tagging for those at risk of radicalisation.

France’s government has said it is at war with violent jihadists.

But a third major attack in 18 months has led to criticism of the country’s leaders.

There is no indication that the Nice attacker, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, was a jidhadist.

Neighbours have described him as a violent loner who liked to drink, lift weights and go salsa dancing.

But France’s Prime Minister Manuel Valls has suggested he may have been radicalised too quickly to trigger the authorities’ attention, reports the BBC.

He was shot dead by police when his vehicle’s path along the Promenade des Anglais was eventually halted.

French media reported that he researched the route in the days before the attack.

The reports say Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drove through the seafront promenade area of the French city on Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation.

Europe 1 radio said CCTV footage from the days beforehand showed him driving through the area in the lorry, closely observing the scene.

Tunisian security sources have told the BBC he visited Tunisia frequently, most recently eight months ago.

So-called Islamic State said the attacker was acting in response to its calls to target civilians in countries that are part of the anti-IS coalition.