PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron could be set to organise France 's first referendum in 14 years to end months of "yellow vest" protests, but analysts say the move is a risky gamble.Macron has clawed back some lost popularity in recent weeks by throwing himself into his "grand national debate", a series of townhall events aimed at tamping down the yellow vest revolt which began in November.But the real test for the 41-year-old will be what he does with the feedback from hundreds of conversations underway around the country, as well as the 700,000-plus contributions made online.Macron has confirmed that he is considering calling a referendum on some of the demands emanating from the public consultation, reportedly on the same day as elections for the European parliament on May 26. The movement ballooned into an anti-Macron revolt, with weekly rallies in Paris and other cities regularly turning violent.The president's first response was to announce a 10-billion-euro ($11.4 million) package of tax cuts and state top-ups for low-income workers and pensioners.He then launched the "great national debate", promising it will lead to real changes.Putting some ideas to a referendum could help boost his legitimacy and address criticism that he is deaf to the worries of regular voters. "One of the main takeaways from the yellow vest movement is the impression that many in France believe that they are not given enough consideration by discredited political elites," Jean Garrigues, history professor at Sciences Po and Orleans universities, told AFP.But there are two potential problems.Some ministers and MPs in Macron's party worry that holding the referendum on the same day as the European polls would lead to a confusing election campaign.And analysts say Macron would also need to find a balance between asking meaningful questions to the electorate and avoiding hot topics that could lead to a damaging personal defeat. "I don't believe in holding referendums every day on every subject," he told a group of young people on Thursday in the central Saone-et-Loire region. "Look at what happened in Britain," he said, pointing to Brexit as an example of the "demagoguery" and over-simplification of complex issues that can sway Yes/No votes.

Source: Economic Times February 08, 2019 13:07 UTC