French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is set to announce the suspension of fuel tax hikes which triggered massive unrest across the country, AFP reported citing government sources.
France’s government officially canceled a meeting with Yellow Vest protestors scheduled for Tuesday, France24 reported.
Philippe’s office has said the prime minister would announce some “measures” favoring the protesters. Culture Minister Franck Riester previously told reporters Philippe may make “a strong conciliatory gesture in the coming days,” but did not provide any details.
Earlier on Monday, it emerged that protesters representing the movement have pulled out of the planned meeting with the Prime Minister. Two of the protest leaders, Jacline Mouraud and Benjamin Cauchy, told AFP they had received threats from hardline protesters who warned them against entering into dialogue with the government.
Also on rt.com Yellow Vest rallies target govt, not gas prices – French analyst to RT
The “Yellow Vests” have been protesting about a controversial fuel tax since mid-November. Massive rallies hit Paris and France’s major cities, with protesters demanding to drop the tax rise.
President Emmanuel Macron repeatedly said he will not back down on taxes, but on Monday the government signaled that it is ready to make some concessions. Also that day, he held an urgent security meeting and cancelled a planned visit to Serbia to tackle the crisis.
Comments are closed.