M Macron told a crowd of reporters during a visit to Epernay, a town in northern France: “I’m being vigilant. I’m doing my best to respond to people’s concerns and legitimate fears. But, I’m determined to continue transforming the country, to move it forward.” He also acknowledged the lingering “anger and indignation” among members of the public over his tough reform plans. The citizen-led yellow vest movement began as a peaceful backlash against high living costs but rapidly morphed into a working-class revolt against the Macron government.
Twelve months after the first demonstrations against social inequalities by yellow vest protesters, the numbers taking to the streets every Saturday have dropped dramatically and M Macron can safely claim to have weathered the unrest.
But the 41-year-old leader is aware that the anger is deep-rooted, and is keen to avoid further violence from erupting.
This weekend, yellow vests will return to the street to mark the first anniversary of the revolt which badly rattled the Macron government, perceived by protesters as elitist and indifferent to citizens’ everyday needs and struggles.
Scores of yellow vests will travel to Paris, Bordeaux and other big cities on Saturday to take part in the 53rd straight week of demonstrations, several of which have in the past been marred by brutal clashes between protesters and police.
More than 5,000 people are expected to gather on Paris’ Champs-Elysées avenue, where yellow vest figure Eric Drouet has called on demonstrators to stage a huge “go slow” protest in a bid to paralyse the city centre.
But whether the anniversary can inject fresh momentum into a movement that has dwindled from 282,000 protesters on November 17, 2018, to just a few thousand nationwide on recent Saturdays, remains to be seen.
The yellow vests have, however, successfully shaken up the status quo, forcing the government into billions of euros of tax cuts for the poorest workers and pensioners.
M Macron, for his part, has promised to show more empathy and greater public consultation on key issues.
He has since launched the next and likely most perilous leg of his reform agenda by holding talks with unions on an overhaul of the pension system to plug a stubborn deficit.
But, public anger is brewing over M Macron’s plan to streamline the complex and expensive retirement system.
His government wants to merge the country’s 42 different pension schemes into a single, points-based one so that all workers have the same pension rights.
Mr Macron insists this will make the system fairer, but critics of the reform say it will force people to work longer and reduce benefits.
Trade unions have called on railway workers, Paris public transport staff, truck drivers and civil servants to strike against the pension overhaul on December 5, and in some cases beyond, threatening travel chaos ahead of the Christmas break.
Yellow vests have also pledged to join forces with the unions.