France's Macron Says He Wants to 'Piss Off' the Unvaccinated
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he "really wants to piss off" unvaccinated people, intensifying a heated political debate over strict new rules for those who have refused the shot. In an interview with Le Parisien newspaper on Tuesday, Macron said: "I'm not for pissing off the French ... Now the unvaccinated, I really want to piss them off. And so, we're going to keep doing it, until the end. This is the strategy."
His remarks drew swift and angry condemnation from opposition lawmakers, who were debating Macron's proposed new set of rules for unvaccinated people that would ban them from much of public life. "I'm not going to put them in jail, I'm not going to forcibly vaccinate them, and so, you have to tell them: from January 15, you will no longer be able to go to the restaurant, you will no longer be able to have a drink, go for a coffee, to the theater, you will no longer go to the movies," Macron told Le Parisien.
The proposed legislation would replace France's health pass with a vaccine pass, meaning proof of vaccination is necessary for access to a range of everyday activities, from entering restaurants and bars to traveling inside the country. It would no longer accept proof of a negative test or recent recovery from Covid.
Macron described those opposed to vaccination as "irresponsible," adding that "they undermined the strength of a nation." Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Twitter that "a president shouldn't say that," calling Macron "unworthy of his office" and claiming he wants to make unvaccinated people "second-class citizens."
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/05/europe/macron-unvaccinated-comments-vaccine-pass-intl/index.html