France’s Macron Blinks in Standoff With Yellow Vests
Grassroots movement “gilets jaunes†led violent protests in the heart of Paris, pressuring him to back down on key piece of reform plan
By Matthew Dalton and
Noemie Bisserbe
Updated Dec. 4, 2018 8:38 a.m. ET
PARIS—French President Emmanuel Macron delayed a planned tax increase on fuel, handing a victory to a grass-roots protest movement that has massed across France to challenge his agenda.
Faced with another weekend of destructive protests by the “gilets jaunesâ€â€”or yellow vests—Prime Minister Édouard Philippe told a news conference Tuesday the tax hike would be pushed back six months. The worst riots to hit Paris in decades erupted during antigovernment protests Saturday, leaving the city’s shopping and tourist center dotted with burning cars and broken storefronts. Protesters vandalized the Arc de Triomphe, rattling Mr. Macron’s administration and the nation.
“No tax is worth threatening the unity of the nation,†Mr. Philippe said.
The protests have become a test of Mr. Macron’s resolve to forge ahead with his broader agenda, particularly his pro-business overhaul of the French economy. Tuesday’s concession marked the first time the Macron government has blinked since the former investment banker took office in the spring of 2017.
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/france-to-delay-fuel-tax-increase-after-violent-protests-1543925246