"They are not citizens," Macron's statement astonished the world

"They are not citizens," Macron's statement astonished the world

"It is not my intention to 'piss off' the French people. But when it comes to the unvaccinated, I really want to piss them off. And so, we're going to continue doing so, until the end. That's the strategy," he described his efforts to get as many French people as possible to be vaccinated in a way that makes the lives of those who have not received a single dose worse. "In France, more than 90 percent of those who have been offered the vaccine have been vaccinated so far," he said.

According to the "Guardian", Macron's interview in the French newspaper appeared at the moment when, in the lower house of the French National Assembly, to the President's surprise, the adoption of a controversial new law stalled that only vaccinated citizens would be allowed to enter cafes, cinemas, museums and airplanes, trains and other public places, while a negative test would no longer be recognized. A majority of MPs voted to adjourn the session after a heated debate until late Monday night, and members of Macron's ruling party were stunned by such developments.

The disputed law provides for more severe penalties for manufacturers, traders and users of fake COVID passes, as well as for responsible persons in places that do not check them. People who have a fake pass could be punished with five years in prison, and a fine of up to 75.000 euros, reports "Jutarnji list".

Proposed tougher measures have angered opponents of vaccination, but not just them, and some lawmakers say they have been exposed to threats of violence and vandalism. Macron's interview for "Le Parisien" and the difficult words he uttered in it added fuel to the fire of social divisions.

"In a democracy, lies and stupidity are the worst enemies. We put pressure on the non-vaccinated by restricting their access to social activities as much as possible," Macron said.

"We have more than 90% of those vaccinated, and only a small minority is resisting. How can we reduce it further? So, pardon my French, we should piss them off even more," said the French President, whose mandate is about to expire. He formally announced his candidacy in the April elections because, he says, the "health situation" has not yet allowed him to do so.

"We don't want to put them in jail, we don't want to vaccinate them by force. But we will tell them: from February 15, you will no longer be able to go to a restaurant. You will no longer be able to have coffee, you will no longer be able to go to the theater," Macron said further, denying the unvaccinated the right to citizenship.

"When my freedoms endanger the freedoms of others, then I become irresponsible. He who is irresponsible is not a citizen," Macron concluded.

His political opponents, who from the beginning of his rule called him arrogant, tactless and completely separated from parts of the population, immediately fired a barrage of criticism at such rhetoric.

The expression "emmerder", from "merde" (shit), that can also be translated as "to get on their nerves", is considered "very informal" by French dictionary Larousse and prompted immediate criticism by rivals on social media.

"There is no health crisis that would be a justification for such words," said Bruno Retailleau, the leader of the right-wing Republicans in the French Senate.

"The president should not say such things. He turns the non-vaccinated into second-class citizens," added Marine Le Pen, the leader of the right-wing National Assembly party and a possible rival for Macron in the second round.

The leader of the radical left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who also opposes the proposed controversial law, called Macron's vocabulary "astonishing". "It is obvious that COVID passes are a collective punishment directed against the freedoms of an individual," he said.

The Guardian's correspondent from Paris estimates that Macron's appearance on the street could provoke extreme and even violent reactions from vaccine opponents, but at the same time states that his vulgarity is actually politically well calculated considering that most French people are quite frustrated by the endless pandemic. They support COVID passes as a method to finally suppress it, which should not cost him much in the upcoming elections.