Riots: Macron cancels visit

– French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed a planned visit to Belgrade due to “problems” at home, Serbia’s president said yesterday, after Paris was rocked by violent protests over the weekend.

“We were preparing for President Macron’s visit. Unfortunately due to the situation and the problems he faces, President Macron asked me to postpone his visit to our country for a few weeks,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in a televised press conference

The 40-year-old French leader is facing a major crisis as grassroots demonstrations, originally triggered by fuel tax increases, have snowballed into a broad wave of resistance against his economic reforms.

Critics say his business policies are tilted in favour of the rich.

On Saturday riots linked to the “yellow vest” protest movement engulfed ritzy Paris shopping districts, where a police lockdown and vandalism forced many stores to shut. Hundreds of people were arrested.

Four people have died in incidents linked to the anti-government protests which began on November 17.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is to hold talks with representatives of the “yellow vests” today. –