Journal Pioneer

Doubts greet Macron’s ‘grand debate’ to quell French anger

- BY SYLVIE CORBET

Anti-government protesters and political rivals of President Emmanuel Macron criticized a sweeping “letter to the French” he issued after two months of weekly demonstrat­ions, saying Monday his response was inadequate to quell anger over his economic policies.

The letter released Sunday explained how Macron wants to address the concerns roused by the yellow vest movement with a “grand debate” on taxes, public services, climate change and democracy.

The three-month initiative is supposed to take place at local meetings around the country and on the internet starting Tuesday. The French leader said no topics are prohibited and he listed more than 30 questions. He suggested that citizens express their views on which taxes should be lowered and offer ideas for reducing the cost of transporta­tion, heating and food.

Yellow vest representa­tive Jeremy Clement told BFM television the president’s letter “settles part of the problem” but doesn’t go far enough to address the sinking purchasing power of French citizens.

One protester, Jerome Rodrigues, told CNews he thinks Macron failed to recognize “the urgency” of financial concerns among low-income workers and retirees. Others criticized Macron for ruling out restoring a wealth tax on households with assets above 1.3 million euros ($1.5 million.)

Opposition leaders also criticized the letter.

The spokeswoma­n for the conservati­ve Republican­s party, Laurence Sailliet, said “this letter doesn’t allow us to know if Macron will realize the mistakes he made and will actually change his policy.”

The spokesman of far-right National Rally party, Sebastien Chenu, called it “hypocritic­al claptrap.” Far-left leader JeanLuc Melenchon called the letter “a failure” that doesn’t address the French’s concerns. Education Minister JeanMichel Blanquer, speaking on France Inter radio, said “the message of the yellow vests has been heard. We are making something constructi­ve out of it.”

An online poll by French institute YouGov this month showed 40 per cent of respondent­s said they wanted to take part in the debate while 39 per cent didn’t want to and the remainder didn’t know.

Skepticism about the debate’s usefulness appeared on social media.

Paris resident Jerome Huntziger told the AP the public conversati­on “won’t change anything.”

“The feeling of the French is a fed-up feeling on a certain number of things, a feeling of not being listened to by the national representa­tives,” he said.

The French Interior Ministry said about 84,000 people turned out on Saturday for the ninth straight round of demonstrat­ions across France.

 ?? AP PHOTO ?? French President Emmanuel Macron pauses before answering as he attends a media conference with Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore at the Elysee Palace in Paris last year.
AP PHOTO French President Emmanuel Macron pauses before answering as he attends a media conference with Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore at the Elysee Palace in Paris last year.

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