A French pensioner has filed a symbolic complaint against President Emmanuel Macron after his controversial comments about unvaccinated people against COVID-19 that he said he wanted “outraged”, saying he was “shocked and wounded” by the remarks.

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The comments she deemed “discriminatory and insulting” were made by Didier Lalande, 63, who lives in Rosers d’Aigleton in Correz, central France.

Dès mercredi, il a déposé une plainte pour ce qu’il appelle de la “diffamation et menaces publiques par personne ayant autorité”, at-il expliqué samedi à l’AFP, document en mains, confirmant une information du journal régional La Mountain.

In an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Macron said: “Not vaccinated, I really want to anger them. And so we will continue to do so until the end. That is the strategy.”

The pensioner, who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, who says he was “shocked and hurt” by this interview, claims a “symbolic” approach, which has no chance of success, as the president of the republic enjoys presidential immunity.

“They impose restrictions, which I respect,” he said, but “I find it unlikely that the nationality of the unvaccinated will be questioned.”

The controversial statements of the French president set off a political storm, in the midst of an already very tense scrutiny in the National Assembly of a bill to convert a health passport into a vaccine passport, which was painstakingly adopted Thursday.