Les Gilets Jaunes

You will have seen the disturbances in the centre of Paris at the weekend when the "gilets jaunes" rioted in protest at fuel prices, taxation and the general feeling that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer while the middle class is quite simply disappearing.

Direct taxation is low in France and we now pay substatially less under Macron than we did before. Indirect taxation is fairly high, however, with 20% VAT and then supplementary taxes on tobacco, alcohol and on motor fuel. The price of fuel at the pump has been falling over recent weeks, but over the time that we have been in France it has risen a lot.

For us in the city that doesn't affect us much, we go almost everywhere by public transport and when we do use a car the cost of fuel is included in what we pay. But it does have an impact on food prices in shops, of course. Also France is a big country and many people live outside the city centre here they are obliged to use a car for getting around.

Apart from that, M. Macron is a banker, a profession that currently fills the role of pantomime villain, and doesn't have the common touch that recent presidents have had. He wanted to restore the prestige of the presidency, but that can leave ordinary people feeling distanced from you.

In Bordeaux the gilets jaunes rioted in the centre of the city, too, and tear gas was used in the cathedral square.


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