Macron kickstarts 'great debate' to win back French
French President Emmanuel Macron attempted Tuesday to rebound from two months of often violent anti-government protests by launching a nationwide debate over the grievances fuelling the "yellow vest" movement.
Macron travelled to the northern town of Grand Bourgtheroulde to kickstart what he has billed as a "great national debate", the central plank of his bid to turn around his presidency.
The 41-year-old centrist passed a group of yellow vest protesters by the roadside on the way to his meeting with 600 mayors, who relayed the concerns of residents in their towns and villages in the Normandy region.
In his opening remarks to the meeting, which was broadcast live on television, Macron promised that "all the questions" raised by citizens would be given consideration. "There can be no taboos," he said in answer to charges that he has sought to limit the debate by taking some issues off the table from the outset.
Several mayors spoke of a sense of abandonment by the state in ...