Yellow Vests Protests in France
The Yellow vests protestors have brought France to standstill. France is facing its worst civil unrest in 50 years.
Who are these Yellow Vest protestors?
The protestors are referred as Yellow Vests because they don the “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests), which the French drivers are required to carry in their cars. This is said to be a classic example of new age leaderless movement. It is a leaderless movement which no reported structure or leadership to the movement.
Why are they protesting?
Though they is no consensus on the French media about why the yellow vests are protesting. Some report that the protesters are primarily angry about what they see as President Emmanuel Macron’s apparent indifference toward tough conditions for working people and for others the movement is evidence of a middle-class backlash.
The increase of the taxes on the fuel provided an opportunity for the anger to outburst. The Macron’s government had proposed tax increases on fuel to be implemented by January 2019. As per the plans the gas taxes was supposed to be increased by €0.029 per liter ($0.12 a gallon), €0.065 a liter ($0.24 a gallon) on diesel. The increasing of taxes amid price rice of the fuel amid uncertainties had led to backlash.
France Go Green Policy:
The tax was in line with the pro-Green agenda espoused by Macron’s government. The government of France had already pledged to ban all gasoline-fueled cars by 2040. Most of the Paris region pledged to start phasing out all but the newest diesel and gas-fueled vehicles.
Is this an anti-green movement?
US President Trump has linked the protests in France with Paris Climate deal. He said the protests are due to France’s commitment to the expensive and ridiculous Paris Climate deal.
The movement has avoided any explicit anti-Green stance. The Fuel taxes in France are not the highest in Europe, and are actually lower than Germany. The workers feel they are squeezed by the government as only 20 percent of the tax actually goes toward supporting the country’s transition to cleaner energy.
The protestors see government as too technocratic and favoring the rich, ignoring the plight of the worker and middle class. The rallying cry also includes an immediate increase in the minimum wage and pension benefits.
France U-turn on Tax Hike:
The government of France has bowed down to the pressure and has suspending of the proposed tax hike for six months. The government even announced an immediate freeze on gas and electricity price.
The announcements have failed to satisfy the protestor’s anger. They have vowed to continue their protest campaign. The protestors have dismissed the steps taken by the government as insufficient.
Apolitical Movement:
This leaderless movement is widely seen as an apolitical movement. The protestors have won support of everyone from far-right leader Marine Le Pen to far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon. The Yellow vests movement is now projected as a quest for social justice to fight the countries social ills.
