The Yellow Vest protest movement, known as the Gilets Jaunes in France, has protested for the last two months against a raft of Emmanuel Macron’s policies. The French President has been forced to concede on key election pledges, as the protests coincided with record-low approval ratings among voters. However, experts are now predicting that the Yellow Vest protesters could target the upcoming European Parliament to make a mark.
The protesters could be set to launch a movement to take seats at the European elections in May – sending shockwaves to leadership in Brussels.
Claire Rabes, from the Point D’Ancrage think tank, told Al Jazeera that the protesters could soon be asking the EU the same questions they have asked of Mr Macron.
She said: “They want to know what the EU does for them on a day to day basis.”
Isabelle Jegouzo, from the European Commission, has admitted that the French protest movement is a huge concern for leaders in Brussels.
Ms Jegouzo said: “There is a real crisis of representation and Europe is part of that. It is important to spread what Europe is doing for all people.”
The Yellow Vest demands of direct democracies and referendums clash with the elected representatives in Brussels.
Similar anti-establishment protests have already been seen in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Last month, Belgian police detained more than 400 people after “yellow vest” protesters tried to storm EU headquarters.
The protest movement has taken to the streets today in an eighth straight week of anti-Macron demonstrations.
This comes as Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki warned that this year’s elections to the European Parliament” will lead to big changes for Brussels”.
He said: “Brussels and the European Commission need to be very receptive to what is going on in different countries.
He added that most leaders in Europe agreed that there was a need for a serious reform of the EU “but everyone is waiting for the European elections.”
In December, Polish foreign minister Jacek Czaputowicz called France “the sick man of Europe” in the wake of the violent protests