French president defiant in face of anti-reform protests

French President Francois Hollande stays defiant in the face of nationwide anti-reform protest rallies, pledging to go ahead with the controversial plans despite the opposition pressure on his administration.

Speaking in a radio interview on Tuesday, Hollande vowed to stick with his controversial attempts to reform the labor market.

The president, who is weighing a possible bid for re-election in May 2017, noted that he placed the need to reform over his personal fame. Hollande has some of the lowest poll ratings of any post-war French president.

“I will not give way because too many (previous) governments have backed down,” said Hollande, adding, “I prefer that people have an image of a president who made reforms rather than a president who did nothing.”

The president warned demonstrators against resorting to violence and said, “Demonstrating is a right, but smashing things up is a crime.”

Hollande also pointed out that 350 police officers had been injured and more than 1,000 people had already been arrested at the ongoing nationwide demonstrations.

He also emphasized that the reforms were necessary and measures will take time to show results.

“It takes time for those reforms to take effect,” said Hollande, adding, “The battle is not won. It will only be won when we have, over several months, a sustained fall in unemployment," he said. "I am fighting the battle every day.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the president defended his assertion a month ago that France was “doing better.”

SS