Paris, Apr 27: France’s finance minister promised Friday that some 15 million households would benefit from tax cuts announced by President Emmanuel Macron, but the move did little to calm tempers among “yellow vest” protesters.
In a major address on Thursday night, the French leader promised a new round of tax cuts worth 5 billion euros (USD 5.5 billion) as part of a raft of measures in answer to five months of anti-government street protests over the high cost of living.
But the speech, which was billed as a turning point for Macron’s troubled presidency, sparked a mixed reaction on Friday and failed to win over those whose weekly protests had triggered the crisis.
“The yellow vest movement has to keep going,” said Thierry-Paul Valette, co-founder of the “Yellow Vest Citizens” group, saying Macron had “missed a crucial opportunity” to meet with those who had been protesting since mid-November.
“From our five months of demonstrations, he learnt nothing… He didn’t provide any political answers.”
Central to the package of measures outlined on Thursday were plans for new tax cuts which would be funded by axing corporate tax breaks, reducing public spending and introducing longer working hours.
The reforms follow a package of tax cuts and income top-ups worth 10 billion euros announced in December following the first month of protests by the yellow vests.
But Interior Minister Christophe Castaner stressed that Macron was addressing “the country, not 30,000 demonstrators”.
The number of “yellow vest” protesters has dwindled progressively since last November, but each weekend tens of thousands still turn out, with the protests infiltrated by violent far-left and far-right groups.
