Macron to press on with reform despite ‘hateful mob’

EMMANUEL Macron vowed to press on with economic reforms despite protests by the ‘hateful mob’ which has brought two months of bloody violence to France.

In a defiant New Year message to his country, the president condemned leaders of the Yellow Vest movement who he said were responsible for attacks on minorities.

‘Those who claim to speak for the people, but in fact speak for a hateful mob – attacking elected representatives, security forces, journalists, Jews, foreigners, homosexuals – are quite simply the negation of France,’ Mr Macron said. Mr Macron admitted the French government ‘can do better’ at improving citizens’ lives, during a 16-minute televised speech from the Elysée palace.

‘We can do better and must do better,’ Mr Macron said, but stressed the French should ‘accept the reality’ that increased public spending was not the answer to their problems. ‘We live in one of the biggest economies in the world, with some of the best infrastructure in the world, we pay little or nothing for our children’s schooling and we are treated by excellent doctors at some of the lowest costs in the developed world,’ he said.

While acknowledging the need for improved public services, particularly in rural areas where the yellow vest movement sprang up over anger at fuel taxes, he noted that public spending already amounted to over half of the country’s output.

He vowed not to be swayed from his reform agenda, which was thrown into question after he jettisoned his controversial fuel tax hike and announced €10 billion in aid for the low-paid to try to tame the revolt. Among the priorities he listed for 2019 were trimming the bloated public sector and the unemployment and pension systems.

Violence surged in the last two months of 2018 but began to wane in the wake of a terror attack on Strasbourg Christmas market on December 11, which left five dead.