Yellow-Vests Movement

The “Yellow Vest” Protests are an ongoing series of protests in France against the policies of French President Emmanuel Macron. The movement takes its name from the yellow high visibility vests required by law to be kept in all motorcars. The protests were initially spurred by Macron’s fuel tax but have expanded to express discontent with a host of policies perceived as having a disproportionate impact on the working classes. Among the protesters have been elements of both the far left and far right. The turmoil has taken a toll on the city of Paris with months of sustained weekly protesting which has been associated with vandalism of Parisian businesses and monuments. Amid the unrest, Macron’s approval rating has been hovering below 30%. In an initiative to ease the dissatisfaction, Macron introduced “The Great Debate” in which he has promised to listen to the people’s complaints, but the initiative has been widely viewed as a failure, and has done little to abate the President’s out of touch reputation.