Emmanuel Macron’s government has cancelled next year’s planned increase in fuel taxes, just one day after saying it would freeze the hikes for six months, as it looks to calm protests that have rocked France.
The increase in fuel taxes are “cancelled for the year 2019,” said environment minister, François de Rugy on French television station BFMTV on Wednesday evening.
The move, which was confirmed by the Elysée, has been forced by a nationwide protest movement known as the gilets jaunes after the yellow high-visibility vests worn by protesters. This has brought riots to Paris and emerged as the biggest political crisis so far in Mr Macron’s 18-month presidency. A third week of protests spilled over into the worst riots in Paris in 50 years on Saturday.