(VOVworld) - French President Francois Hollande acknowledged on Sunday there is a threat of an attack during the Euro 2016 football championship but said France must not be intimidated.

French President François Hollande at the G7 summit in Ise, Japan on May 26, 2016. (Photo: GETTY IMAGES/CHUNG SUNG-JUN)

He appealed for a halt to transportation strikes that threaten to disrupt the month-long football extravaganza opening on Friday.

France is on high terror alert and is also in the grip of nationwide protests and transportation strikes triggered by controversial labor reforms, with the sense of malaise compounded by flooding in the Paris region.