Paris, 5 January 2022 (dpa/MIA) - French President Emmanuel Macron is facing a backlash after hardening his tone towards unvaccinated people, saying his goal was to "piss them off" so much that they end up getting jabbed. "I really want to piss them off, and we will continue to do this to the end," Le Parisien newspaper quoted him in an interview as saying about the 9 per cent of adults in France who have yet to receive two Covid-19 vaccine doses. Macron said his goal was to prod them into getting their shots by making their lives more difficult, as opposed to imposing compulsory vaccinations on the public. "I will not put you in jail, I will not force vaccination upon you," Macron said. It is an election year in France and Macron's remarks sparked criticism on Wednesday from his opponents, with many calling his choice of words vulgar. The far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen called Macron unworthy of his office, while high-profile left-wing politician Jean-Luc Melenchon described the statement as "shocking." Green candidate Yannick Jadot wrote that Macron did not care about the people and Socialist leader Olivier Faure spoke of a statement that was beneath the presidency. French government spokesman Gabriel Attal defended Macron's choice of words, saying anti-vaxxers are spoiling the lives of medical workers, the elderly and shopkeepers. Attal said most French people feel the same anger as Macron, if not more. Macron wants to impose drastic new restrictions on the unvaccinated. A new plan he has put forward would allow only vaccinated people to have access to restaurants, bars, cultural sites and long-distance trains from mid-January. The measures are being debated in the National Assembly. The Senate would also have to give its approval. The country set a new record for the number of Covid-19 cases recorded in a single day, registering 271,686 within 24 hours on Tuesday.