Macron SURRENDERS to the rioters: French president caves in and suspends fuel tax hikes in victory for the Yellow Vests after days of violent protests
Days of ‘yellow vest’ demonstrations have seen mass vandalism and hundreds of arrests across France
The protests began as a rebellion against fuel prices and planned tax hikes but later grew into civil unrest
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe met with ministers to find ways of ending violence yesterday
Government will freeze planned hikes on regulated electricity and gas prices in a bid to end the riots
By PETER ALLEN
DAILYMAIL.COM
4 December 2018
French President Emmanuel Macron has today caved in and suspended hated fuel tax hikes in a victory for the Yellow Vest protesters.
In a humiliating U-turn, the government said it was planning to freeze upcoming increases on regulated electricity and gas prices following emergency talks at the Elysee Palace.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told MPs that stricter vehicle emission controls set to kick in in January 2019 will also be suspended – one of the demands of the movement which erupted last month.
Government sources say the planned six-month suspension will cost 2 billion euros (£1.78 billion) with the hole in public finances funded entirely by corresponding spending cuts.
But activists who have reduced Paris and other cities and towns to war zones over the past two weekends said their demonstrations will continue as they campaign for more tax reductions.
There were fresh protests around France today with students torching a barricade in Bordeaux and roadside demonstrations taking place on motorways in Aix-en-Provence and near Paris.
‘It’s a first step, but we don’t want crumbs,’ said Benjamin Cauchy, a spokesman for the movement, which takes its name from the high visibility yellow jackets that all motorists are expected to own in France.
‘Demonstrations will continue as we fight for further demands,’ said Mr Cauchy. He added that he had received ’30 death threats’ after pleading for his movement to halt its campaign of violence.
In announcing the decision, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said anyone would have ‘to be deaf or blind’ not to see or hear the roiling anger on the streets over a policy that Macron has defended as critical to combating climate change.
‘The French who have donned yellow vests want taxes to drop, and work to pay. That’s also what we want. If I didn’t manage to explain it, if the ruling majority didn’t manage to convince the French, then something must change,’ said Philippe.
‘No tax is worth jeopardising the unity of the nation.’
Along with the delay to the tax increases that were set for January, Philippe said the time would be used to discuss other measures to help the working poor and squeezed middle-class who rely on vehicles to get to work and go shopping.
Earlier officials had hinted at a possible increase to the minimum wage, but Philippe made no such commitment.
He warned citizens, however, that they could not expect better public services and lower taxes.
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