Paris (AFP) - French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday said he would not withdraw the labour market reforms which have sparked two months of street protests and led to an unsuccessful attempt to bring down the government.
"I will not give way because too many (previous) governments have backed down," the president said in an hour-long interview with Europe 1 radio.
France is facing a week of strikes in protest at a package of reforms the government says will make the notoriously rigid labour market more flexible, but which opponents say will erode job security.
Hollande said he defended the right of people to protest, but insisted the reforms were necessary.
"I prefer that people remember me as a president who made reforms rather than a president who did nothing," he said.
Hollande also promised tougher action against troublemakers who have infiltrated street protests against the reforms, damaged property and provoked confrontation with riot police.
Many of the demonstrations against the reforms have descended into violence.
"It will not be accepted," Hollande said, promising more arrests and bans on protesting for others.
"Demonstrating is a right, but smashing things up is a crime," he said.
The president said more than 1,000 people had already been arrested and that 350 police officers had been injured in the violence.
