Macron maintains rude remarks about France’s unvaccinated

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron maintained on Friday his rude remarks about the country’s minority of vaccine refusers, saying he cannot accept that they infringe on others’ freedom. The 44-year-old outspoken president, who is expected to seek re-election later this year, made headlines earlier this week by using the word “emmerder” — rooted in the French word for “crap” and meaning to rile or to bug. He described this as his strategy for pressuring vaccine refusers to get coronavirus jabs. Speaking in a news conference in Paris, Macron acknowledged the term may have upset some, but said he takes full responsibility for it. He said France’s strategy is to “vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate.” The country reported this week Europe’s highest-ever single-day confirmed infection count.