The pension reform bill has sparked protests across the country for weeks, and Mr Macron's government has narrowly survived two no-confidence votes over the way it has been pushed through parliament.
The president's remarks, made in a television interview, were supposed to calm tensions, but instead drew an angry response from unions, who said a ninth day of nationwide demonstrations and strikes scheduled for today would draw huge crowds in protest against what they described as Mr Macron's "scorn".
"Do you think I enjoy making this reform? No," Mr Macron said, repeating throughout the interview his conviction that the pensions system needs to be modified in order to remain financially viable. "This reform isn't a luxury, it's not a pleasure, it's a necessity," he said.
Polls show that a broad majority of the French public is opposed to the legislation, which will raise the pension age by two years to 64.
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