President Emmanuel Macron sought to reset his presidency and accelerate France's path out of lockdown as he faces economic strife ahead of the next presidential election in 2022.
In a televised address, Macron said the nation was turning the page on a crisis phase in the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed almost 30,000 lives in France. That includes reopening indoor service at bars and restaurants in the Paris region on Monday, he said.
"We'll be able to once again find pleasure in being together," Macron said Sunday. "In short, we will be able to find France again."
Macron also spoke out against racism and for national unity after protests against police brutality erupted in France in the wake of unrest in the U.S.
Macron has been crafting the "next steps" of his presidency, an official at the Elysee said before the speech. That means going back to the drawing board on a much-touted pension reform and weighing which parts will have to be scrapped.
