French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he is “opposed to self-defence” after a farmer was charged with murder for shooting four burglars who broke into his home.

“According to the initial investigation, the farmer fired twice with a large calibre rifle at a group of four burglars, killing one of them. The self-defence shooting took place last Friday, between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., and the man was alone with his 3-year-old daughter at the time,” reports Remix News.

Macron made the remarks on Europe 1 after learning of the 35-year-old man from Longré, in the north of Charente, who was indicted for murder.

According to the investigation, the farmer shot twice with a semi-automatic hunting rifle at a group of burglars, killing one.

Speaking of the murder, Macron said that he considers himself to be living in the “state of law,” and that “everyone must be safe, and the public authorities have to ensure it.”

“But I am opposed to self-defence. It’s very clear and indisputable because otherwise, the country becomes the Wild West. And I don’t want a country where weapons proliferate and where we consider that it’s up to the citizens to defend themselves,” he proclaimed.

The immediate threat to his and his daughter’s life notwithstanding, Macron insisted that the farmer should have called the police. The French leader made his remarks, presumably despite knowing the French police force’s increasing inability to keep the peace in many parts of France.

“I’m not going to judge this news. I convey the rules,” insisted Macron, whose record on crime has come under fire.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of one of the country’s conservative opposition parties, and other mainstream conservative politicians have repeatedly condemned Macron’s “laissez-faire” approach to law and order, which previously came up as a decisive issue in the 2020 election.

France’s relative lack of security has become a calling cry for conservatives and nationalists across France, who have tapped into the public concern. Over the past few years, assaults, murders, and sexual assaults have gone up by the double digits in terms of percentage, according to figures provided by the French government.

With the first round of the upcoming election just days away, Macron faces a tight race against Marine Le Pen, who is leading the polls against the French liberal.