MACRON’S TAKING TOUGH LINE OVER YELLOW VESTS
▶ French president angers protesters with stricter rules for unemployment benefits and thousands of job cuts
Embattled French President Emmanuel Macron said those responsible for the violent anti-government protests that immobilised major cities for an eighth consecutive weekend would be punished.
Rather than giving in to the Yellow Vests movement, aides to Mr Macron plan to reshuffle his administration, after introducing measures that enraged low-paid workers.
Authorities struggled to maintain order on Saturday as 50,000 demonstrators took to the streets in Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes and Marseille, to protest against diesel taxes and soaring living costs.
Protesters torched cars near the Arc de Triomphe and used a lorry to force their way into a government ministry hosting Mr Macron’s spokesman, Benjamin Griveaux.
The building’s facade was defaced as protesters stormed the courtyard and vandalised cars.
“It wasn’t me who was attacked, it was the Republic,” Mr Griveaux said. “Those who insult, attack, vandalise, plunder, burn, steal, have no place in the Republic. They must be identified, prosecuted and heavily condemned.”
His words were echoed by Mr Macron, who tweeted: “Once again, the Republic was attacked with extreme violence – its guardians, its representatives, its symbols. Those who committed these acts forget the spirit of our civic pact. Justice will be done.”
The Ministry of Interior yesterday said that 345 people were stopped by the police over the weekend and that 281 of them were held in custody. Among them is a well-known boxer, referred to as Christopher D by French media, who is accused of punching a police officer.
New images of police violence against protesters have also emerged, with Mr Macron being criticised for the authorities’ response to the civil unrest.
The movement did not lose steam during the Christmas holidays, but he announced new measures that angered protesters, including stricter rules for unemployment benefits and thousands of public job cuts.
The executive is also not backing down on environmental and energy reforms. As part of its “multi-year energy programme” the government vowed to reduce the share of nuclear in the energy mix to 50 per cent by 2035, rather than 2025, but did not agree to scrap it entirely.
And the fuel tax that ignited the protests in November was postponed for a year in December, but was not repealed.
In an attempt to appease protesters, Mr Macron made a €10 billion (Dh42.11bn) concession that includes tax cuts for pensioners and wage rises for the poorest workers.
But his efforts have so far fallen short, with critics expressing fear that the fuel tax rises may resurface next year.
This will be one of the issues discussed during the national debate this month, in which representatives of government and syndicates discuss fiscal measures and ways to make the transition to clean energy.
Meanwhile, Mr Macron is in damage control mode as he seeks to recruit new collaborators who are experienced in dealing with political crisis.
Pierre Olivier, a candidate for the position of cabinet director, was dismissed because of his lack of crisis-management experience, French radio station Europe 1 reported.
Others, such as communications director Sylvain Fort, are jumping ship. Mr Fort, one of the president’s closest collaborators, said he would quit at the end of the month because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Last summer, celebrity environmentalist and former TV presenter Nicolas Hulot resigned live on a radio show from the post of environment minister, a move that started the resignations.
Mr Macron’s popularity hit a record low last week, with three quarters of French people saying they were unhappy with the way he is running the country, a survey commissioned by Figaro newspaper showed.
The Yellow Vest movement began in November, when thousands of people dressed in high-visibility jackets across France blocked roads and roundabouts.
The protests against Mr Macron have evolved into a broad cry of grievance embraced by all disgruntled segments of French society.