After the protest, the French President postponed the increase in fuel taxes
Paris - After protests that led to riots, President Emmanuel Macron decided to delay the planned increase in fuel taxes. This is the toughest crisis the president has hailed to bring renewal.
French President Emmanuel Macron reacted to widespread protests "yellow vests" and sent Prime Minister Edouard Philippe speaking publicly on Tuesday (4/12). Philippe announced a delay in fuel taxes and a rise in electricity prices through television.
The planned tax increase for gasoline and diesel on January 1 will be suspended for six months, while rising electricity and gas prices will be frozen during the winter.
Previously, widespread protests from the "yellow vest" group led to riots, vandalism, car burning and street clashes in the center of Paris which left hundreds injured. Four people were reported killed in the accident that occurred related to the mass protest.
President Macron for weeks, tried to maintain a plan to increase fuel taxes, which was intended to finance environmental protection policies and reduce pollution. But critics criticized policies that were considered unfair and burdensome to the small people. The protest movement of the "yellow vest" continued to expand and grow louder. The government had planned to increase fuel prices by three euro cents to one liter of unleaded gasoline and six cents for diesel.
Macron's popularity plummeted
The French government hopes that the compromise step can ease various protests. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said additional police would be deployed next Saturday (8/12) to maintain security.
A recent poll from the Ifop-Fiduciary survey on Tuesday showed that President Emmanuel Macron's popularity has now dropped to its lowest point in the range of around 23 percent.
Emmanuel Macron did not comment on the protest and the delay in its policies. He visited a local government office in downtown Puy-en-Velay, which was burned during protests last weekend.
The rise of the yellow vest movement
The "yellow vest" movement is named after the yellow vest which is usually used for emergency situations on the highway and is available in every vehicle. The movement first appeared on social media in October, after months of intense debate over plans to raise fuel taxes and increase electricity rates.
The movement quickly developed into a broader protest against Macron, who was accused of representing only the elite and did not understand the difficulties of small communities in fulfilling their daily needs.
Immediately after reaching power in 2017, Emmanuel Macron pushed for tax cuts for entrepreneurs and high-income citizens. This is a "big sin" in the eyes of its critics.