Facing exceptional protests, French President Emmanuel Macron is promising to speed up tax relief for struggling workers and to scrap a tax hike for retirees.
IN PHOTOS: ‘Yellow vest’ protests paralyze France, spill over into Belgium and the Netherlands
The actions were the pledges Macron made on Monday night in his first public comments since protests against his presidency devolved into rioting in the French capital.
The French leader reiterated earlier promises to raise the minimum wage and pledged to abolish taxes on overtime pay starting Jan. 1, several months before schedule.
Get breaking National news
He also said a tax hike pensioners faced would be scrapped.
- B.C. rescuers helped locate young survivor in Venezuela quake rubble
- Iran’s top officials attend prayer for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
- 1 killed in attack on Crimea as Putin and Zelenskyy hold separate Trump calls
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce marry in front of famous friends at Madison Square Garden
All of the measures offered had been demanded by the yellow-vested protesters who have led four weeks of increasingly radicalized demonstrations against Macron’s presidency, seen as favouring the rich.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.