France suspends controversial fuel tax after weeks of unrest

Washington Post ^

[Sub-Driver]

France suspends controversial fuel tax after weeks of unrest

By James McAuley December 4 at 6:40 AM

PARIS — French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced Tuesday that the French government would temporarily suspend the controversial carbon tax plan that triggered weeks of often violent protests around the country.

To help curb climate change, the government had proposed a slew of new carbon taxes that were slated to take effect in January 2019 and were designed to wean consumers off diesel and other polluting fuels and to favor electric cars. But the price hikes those taxes represented triggered a wave of social unrest unseen in recent years that quickly became a full-blown crisis.

For the better part of three weeks, protesters — clad in high-visibilty yellow vests — took to the streets across the country. In Paris especially, the scenes were particularly violent, with protesters defacing monuments, torching cars and smashing shop windows. The government has weighed the possibility of imposing a “state of emergency” to quell the unrest

Tuesday’s announcement — a six-month suspension of the proposed taxes — represented a major reversal for a government that had initially stood its ground. President Emmanuel Macron, who won the French presidential election in a landslide in 2017, has struggled to maintain his popularity, with critics accusing him of being out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people.

[Gen.Blather]

“And I’m wondering if the suspension will be in place only until the French government can get new laws passed banning protests.”

This is temporary and just intended to end the present protests. It will probably work as there is most likely no leadership and no funding to keep them going. (Unlike the well funded and organized “protests” in the United States.)

The taxes will be back, but they will be more gradual and designed not to provoke a response.

I knew a Frenchman who owned several businesses in France. He was so upset with unfair taxes that one weekend he closed them all and immigrated to America. He said, “They can have them. Let them run them and pay the taxes.” (My understanding, and it has been a while, you aren’t allowed to close a business in France without paying several months of pay and benefits. He didn’t have the money required to close.)

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Try never. Reimposing them is politically impossible. People will be back in the streets should they re-emerge."

They should keep protesting. For the Yellow Vest leadership they should use this as a good faith measure to negotiate. The end goal should be the repeal of these ridiculous carbon taxes and more governmental reforms with the end goal of delivering the government back to the people.

[mewzilla]

Now there are some refugees I’d gladly accept: hard-working, law-abiding, taxpaying Europeans fleeing EU tyranny.

[Ann Archy]

How MUCH were the taxes to make it $7.00 a gallon??

[mewzilla]

They’re waiting, but not for the protesters to get weary. It looks like the French government is working on legislation to infringe on the right to protest.

[Chode]

the lil manlet blinked,,,

[Old Teufel Hunden]

Mr Cauchy also told AFP that “the French do not want crumbs, they want the breadstick in full,” and called for “a new distribution of wealth in France” and the establishment of “regular referendums on major societal issues.”

The above is from an article I read on this in Breitbart. This gentleman claims to be one of the leaders of the yellow vest. If this is the prevailing attitude among them then I do not have any faith in this movement.

[virgil]

If we had protests like this, antifa would show up to muddy it up. Make it look like it’s about racism and ‘white nationalism’ instead of taxes. They just always seem to be there.

[KarlInOhio]

I saw another article which stated that the radical left is putting on yellow vests and trying to take over the movement.

[OttawaFreeper]

Meanwhile in California..

[Doogle]

We have the DNC
...

[oldvirginian]

“Yesterday police took of their helmets in a show of solidarity with the yellow jackets.”

When you’ve lost the cop on the corner you’ve LOST...BIGLY.
I’m sure when Brigitte’s little boy saw that he shat himself and she had to change his diaper.

And PLEASE, lets not call this little idiot Macaroon.
The macaroon is a tasty cookie enjoyed by millions.

[Vaquero]

BLINK!

Excellent.

[moovova]

No worries mate. I’m sure the next overbearingly stupid idea is already in the pipeline.

[Jimmy Valentine]

How will Macron explain this to his knobby-kneed wife?

[Mr. Mohasky]

Government blinked.

[webstersII]

I saw a French blog posting that said it was about more than just a fuel tax.

This guy said people were protesting all the taxes which had been raised for several years to pay for the huge influx of immigrants. Also, that the French pensions had been reduced to provide pensions for the older immigrants.

[Elsie]

... new carbon taxes...

[xp38]

Exactly. This tax was too obvious and onerous so there was pushback. The frog started climbing out of the pot. Time to figure a more nuanced way to turn the heat up again.