La lune de miel est terminée!

[stockhausen]

Anti-government protesters who barricaded roads and fuel depots across France this week are to stage fresh demonstrations in Paris on Saturday, as Emmanuel Macron struggles to quell a national mood of defiance.

The “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests) citizens’ movement – named after the protesters’ fluorescent, high-visibility vests – has caught the French president off-guard. The movement has no leader and its ad-hoc barricades at tollbooths, roundabouts and fuel depots have been organised on social media.

The movement, which began as a protest against rising fuel taxes, has grown into a wider outpouring over inequality, a political class seen as cut off from reality and the pro-business Macron’s persistently negative image as a “president of the rich”.

A poll for Le Figaro on Friday showed 77% of French people felt the planned protests across Paris were legitimate, suggesting even those who were not guarding roadblocks day and night in provincial towns, villages and suburban areas identified with the feeling of disconnect from the governing class.

Reassuring to see that the French have had enough of austerity.
If it wasn't for Marine Le Pen, Macron would probably never have been elected.

 

[LabR@t]

Don't blame Le pen, if not Macron then another EU globalist.
Le pen was the only choice not to continue austerity.

 

[Resident]

Sadly the fact that it was all organised on social media will just fuel EU leaders to write laws to shut down Internet freedoms.

 

[LabR@t]

Yes what a wonderful organisation, the EU is. Stamping on people's rights to protest.

 

[Narj]

I really respect the French. when they don't like something they actually take action rather than having half-arsed rants on social media then going back to EastEnders.

We would do well to follow their example.

 

[Werewolf]

Yes what a wonderful organisation, the EU is. Stamping on people's rights to protest.

I'm not sure if you're being serious or not.

But protests that blockade vital infrastructure, or even just roads will tend to get short shift in any democracy if it starts to adversely affect the country.
France has tended to be an oddity in that it typically is far more tolerant of the disruption than most countries.

 

[Efour]

I really respect the French. when they don't like something they actually take action rather than having half-arsed rants on social media then going back to EastEnders.

We would do well to follow their example.

Indeed.

 

[Rroff]

Indeed.

Absolutely.

*Goes back to watching Netflix*

EDIT: Should I troll the government and buy up every hi-vis on Amazon?

 

[stockhausen]

. . .
But protests that blockade vital infrastructure, or even just roads will tend to get short shift in any democracy if it starts to adversely affect the country.
. . .

Forgive my cynicism but what you are saying is that protest should always be ineffective and should never disturb the status quo - perhaps it might lead to a conference in a comfortable resort somewhere - Nice is nice - and/or a two year inquiry by a retired judge and his chums?

No pain, no gain

 

[dowie]

This has got little to do with austerity but rather the price of fuel, something the government doesn't really have direct control over anyway aside form the rate of tax they apply.

If anything if the goal is for the government to cut tax on fuel then that means even less income for the government and more tax needed elsewhere or.... more cuts/austerity.

 

[neil_g]

I really respect the French. when they don't like something they actually take action rather than having half-arsed rants on social media then going back to EastEnders.

We would do well to follow their example.

Who remembers the fuel protests about 14 or so years ago? When people effectively shut down supply from refineries because fuel was rising torward £1/l...

These days all you get is a petition shared on Facebook.

 

[StriderX]

Not sure what they expect the government to do... their social welfare system is completely out of wack with reality. But it's cool, they can get angry, throw the baby out with the bathwater and go full potato with populism that is ultimately going to follow what all the other populists do, which is immediately capitulate. I'll get muh popcorn.

This has got little to do with austerity but rather the price of fuel, something the government doesn't really have direct control over anyway aside form the rate of tax they apply.

If anything if the goal is for the government to cut tax on fuel then that means even less income for the government and more tax needed elsewhere or.... more cuts/austerity.

You mean the huge 80p tax (~55p duty + 20% VAT)?

Yeah... no control there. But as you say, that's the point, no government can seriously reduce it.

 

[dowie]

You mean the huge 80p tax (~55p duty + 20% VAT)?

Yeah... no control there. But as you say, that's the point, no government can seriously reduce it.

No they have control over being able to set rates however the markets drive the price up and down.

If you want the government to reduce tax then you'll need to find that money elsewhere or make cuts.

Point is the OP portrayed this as people having enough of austerity when it is actually people wanting to the govt to cut tax on fuel which would just add to the austerity issue.

 

[chaparral]

Not sure what they expect the government to do... their social welfare system is completely out of wack with reality. But it's cool, they can get angry, throw the baby out with the bathwater and go full potato with populism that is ultimately going to follow what all the other populists do, which is immediately capitulate. I'll get muh popcorn.




You mean the huge 80p tax (~55p duty + 20% VAT)?

Yeah... no control there. But as you say, that's the point, no government can seriously reduce it.

The increases my local government has made over last 10 years by increasing the fuel tax all the time
(We gone from paying about 50p per ltr to £1.40 per ltr in 10 years )
https://gsy.bailiwickexpress.com/gs...hZcY4Vw8VEhXLbjcoHvy-x5YAub54e60#.W_lhlkmNwpU

 

[BowdonUK]

Macron is a loose cannon from what I can tell. He only got in because of the media attacks on Le Pen. He even acted like he was anti EU, then after his first meeting with Merkel completely changed his mind. I guess he likes being told what to do by older women!

 

[stockhausen]

. . . Point is the OP portrayed this as people having enough of austerity when it is actually people wanting to the govt to cut tax on fuel which would just add to the austerity issue.

The tax on diesel, in order to combat pollution, mostly in Paris is/was the trigger.

However I think that you may find that there is a bit more to the protests - to do with austerity and inequality perhaps?

Whatever, bonne chance!

 

[Rroff]

Macron is a loose cannon from what I can tell. He only got in because of the media attacks on Le Pen. He even acted like he was anti EU, then after his first meeting with Merkel completely changed his mind. I guess he likes being told what to do by older women!

As much as anything he got in because he read the mood of the nation and bundled some concessions in there - I suspected at the time it was little more than talk.

 

[dowie]

The tax on diesel, in order to combat pollution, mostly in Paris is/was the trigger.

However I think that you may find that there is a bit more to the protests - to do with austerity and inequality perhaps?

Whatever, bonne chance!

You’re article mentions inequality, it doesn’t mention austerity. Again people who want to reduce tax AND fight austerity have some competing priorities.

 

[stockhausen]

France is a republic that was founded in popular violence. Politics runs to the street there more rapidly than in any other western democracy.
. . .
The centre of Paris has not seen violence on this scale since the student and worker rebellion of May 1968. Much of the worst violence in 1968 came from the police.
. . .
And France has not seen widespread destruction of this kind since the riots that burned like a forest fire through almost all the multiracial inner suburbs of French towns and cities in 2005. Then, the violence stopped at the invisible moat that divides the centre of prosperous French cities from their troubled banlieues, or suburban ghettos. (LINK)

However, let's carry on pretending that this is just about the price of diesel and has absolutely nothing to do with austerity, inequality or the elitist perfidy of Macron shall we?

 

[Sasahara]

I really respect the French. when they don't like something they actually take action rather than having half-arsed rants on social media then going back to EastEnders.

We would do well to follow their example.

I'm pretty sure the UK has plenty of protesters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_protests_in_the_United_Kingdom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poll_tax_riots