PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has given his first national television interview since his election as he tries to win back public support.

Macron appeared both combative and defensive while pressing his vision for an "economic transformation" of a stagnant France in the Sunday interview on TF1 television.

He defended his use of the term "lazy" to describe people resistant to the kind of labor reform he is carrying out and insisted he wants to make France more "effective."

The president says he is trying to improve the lot of French workers who are losing out in the 21st century.

Macron's poll numbers tumbled over the summer amid anger at laws ending some of France's renowned worker protections and his clumsy handling of internal politics.