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Row as Macron says he wants to 'piss off' people who refuse vaccine

French head of state's remarks have been condemned by his political opponents who said the language used was "unworthy" of the presidential office.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

French president Emmanuel Macron said he wants to "p*** off" people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 - and warned he plans to make life harder for those who refuse to get jabbed, reports Sky News

Speaking to France's Le Parisien newspaper, he said: "The unvaccinated, I really want to p*** them off. And so, we're going to continue doing so, until the end. That's the strategy."

His remarks have been condemned by his political opponents who said the language used was "unworthy" of the presidential office.

Last year, France introduced a health pass that prevents people without a negative PCR test, or proof of vaccination, from entering restaurants, cafes and other venues.

The government now wants to turn this pass into a vaccine passport, which means only the fully vaccinated will have access.

"I won't send (the unvaccinated) to prison, I won't vaccinate by force. So we need to tell them, from 15 January, you won't be able to go to the restaurant anymore, you won't be able to down one, won't be able to have a coffee, go to the theatre, the cinema."

Read more of this report from Sky News