French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to 'hassle' those who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Le Parisien reported.
Speaking to Le Parisien, Macron said, "I really want to hassle them, and we will continue to do this - to the end."
He added that he would not "vaccinate by force," but did hope to push the vaccine by means of "limiting as much as possible" unvaccinated individuals' "access to activities in social life."
"I won't send [unvaccinated people] to prison," he told Le Parisien. "So we need to tell them, from 15 January, you will no longer be able to go to the restaurant. You will no longer be able to go for a coffee, you will no longer be able to go to the theatre. You will no longer be able to go to the cinema."
Bruno Retailleau, head of the right-wing Republicans in the upper house Senate, criticized Macron, was quoted by AFP as saying, "No health emergency justifies such words."
A bill currently on the French parliament's table would place strict limits on those who refuse the vaccination, BBC said. The bill has not yet passed due to MKs in the opposition uniting against it.
According to BBC, several MPs have said they received death threats over the bill.
So far, over 90% of French adults have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine, making the country one of the most vaccinated in Europe.