Macron to break silence, address French nation amid tax protests
President is under pressure to find ways to stop violent riots
PARIS — Pressure mounted on French President Emmanuel Macron to announce concrete measures to calm protests marked by violence when he addresses the nation this evening, and breaks a long silence widely seen as aggravating a crisis that has shaken the government and the country.
The president will consult with an array of national and local officials as he tries to get a handle on the ballooning and radicalizing protest movement triggered by anger at his policies, and a growing sense they favor the rich.
Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said earlier he was “sure (Macron) will know how to find the path to the hearts of the French, speak to their hearts.” But, he added, a “magic wand” won’t solve all the problems of the protesters, known as “yellow vests” for the fluorescent safety vests they often wear.
Last week, Macron withdrew a fuel tax hike — the issue that kicked off protests in mid-November — in an effort to appease the protesters, but the move was seen as too little too late.
For many protesters, Macron, widely seen as arrogant and disconnected from rank-and-file French, has become the problem. Calls for him to resign were rampant on Saturday, the fourth weekend of largescale protests.
Labor Minister Muriel Penicaud dampened any notion that the minimum wage would be raised.
Paris tourist sites reopened Sunday, while workers cleaned up debris from protests that left widespread damage in the capital and elsewhere. At least 71 were injured in Paris on Saturday.
The economy minister, meanwhile, lamented the damage to the economy. “This is a catastrophe for commerce, it’s a catastrophe for our economy,” Bruno Le Maire said Sunday.