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France mulls wealth tax changes as protests intensify France mulls wealth tax changes as protests intensify
(about 2 hours later)
The French government could change its position regarding a controversial wealth tax, a government spokesman has said, as protests mount over the president’s policies. The French government will consider reintroducing taxes on the most wealthy in what is seen as a further measure to appease the gilets jaunes protesters threatening to destabilise Emmanuel Macron’s presidency.
The government has changed aspects of the wealth tax – known in France as the ISF – by narrowing it down to lucrative property deals and real estate assets. Lifting part of the ISF or solidarity tax was one of Macron’s first decisions on taking power in May 2017, leading to his nickname “president of the rich”.
However, that move had fuelled criticism that Emmanuel Macron was a “president of the rich”, since it would have eased the tax burden for many of the country’s wealthiest citizens. On Wednesday, as gilets jaunes (yellow vests) vowed to continue protests that have seen parts of Paris in flames and violent clashes with police, the government’s spokesman Benjamin Griveaux admitted ISF could be reimposed.
On Wednesday, the government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux told RTL radio the government could reconsider those proposals if it felt the move was not working. “If the measure we have taken doesn’t work, we’re not idiots, we’ll change it. But first we will have to evaluate it,” Griveaux told RTL radio. Griveaux added that the evaluation would happen next year.
“If a measure that we have taken, which is costing the public money, turns out not to be working, if it’s not going well, we’re not stupid – we would change it,” he said. Reintroducing the wealth tax has been one of the demands of parts of the gilets jaunes movement that grew out of anger at rising taxes on petrol and diesel.
The government has been forced into a change of direction after last Saturday’s scenes of running clashes with police, torched cars and buildings and smashed shop fronts in one of Paris’s most exclusive areas, as well as damage to the Arc de Triomphe in a third week of protests.
On Tuesday, the French prime minister, Édouard Philippe, tried to calm the civil unrest by announcing a freeze on the fuel price rises and on the cost of electricity and gas.
Who are the gilets jaunes and what do they want?Who are the gilets jaunes and what do they want?
On Tuesday, the French prime minister, Edouard Philippe, decided to suspend planned increases to fuel taxes for at least six months in response to weeks of sometimes violent protests by the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement, marking the first major U-turn by Macron’s administration in 18 months in office. Thomas Mirallès, an unofficial spokesman for the gilets jaunes movement in Perpignan, said it was too little, too late.
The protesters vowed to continue their high-profile campaign regardless, declaring they wanted more concessions from France’s leaders and would not accept “crumbs”. “This looks very much like a kind of winter truce, a way of getting through Christmas peacefully,” Miralles said. “Who’s to say the government will not come back in force with these taxes in the spring?”
Although the protests were sparked by the planned rise in fuel taxes next month, the movement has grown to encompass wider anger and frustration against the political elite in Paris in general and Macron and his government in particular. Various gilets jaunes organisers have called for wider social reforms, including a rise in the minimum wage and higher taxes on international giants such as Google and Amazon.
Easing ISF for the wealthy was described by one political commentator as Macron’s “original sin” and has been seen as socially divisive coming at a time when ordinary French workers have felt increasingly squeezed.
The gilets jaunes, as their movement gathers pace, have been calling for another day of action on Saturday while trying to organise some kind of popular leadership. Previous attempts have led to threats against protestors putting themselves forward to give media interviews or meet elected representatives.
André Lannée, in a Facebook video, suggested organising referenda to elect two gilets jaunes representatives for every region. He said: “I invite everyone to spread this message and sign up to the group for each region. These are groups solely for referenda.”
He suggested potential candidates should post a short message putting themselves forward but avoiding politics because “people have had enough of politicians”. Facebook followers would be invited to “like” the candidates. “One like equals one vote … the two delegates will be those who have the most likes,” Lannée said.
He said once elected and with the help of volunteer lawyers the group could then propose new legislation.
“We will arrive at the Elysée with a demand. It will be an official delegation, legitimate as it has been elected by popular referenda. We are not going to smash anything up, there is no interest in smashing up our country.” He added: “We let nothing go; we continue.”
An IFOP poll showed Macron’s popularity had dropped to a new low of 23%. Various opinion polls showed up to 80% of French people supported the gilets jaunes but an even higher number disapproved of the violence carried out by a fringe of protestors.
FranceFrance
Emmanuel MacronEmmanuel Macron
Protest
EuropeEurope
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