French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is to announce on Tuesday a suspension of fuel tax increases planned for January 1 in a move to end violent “yellow vest” protests against the measure, government sources said Tuesday. The suspension will be accompanied by other measures aimed at calming two weeks of nationwide demonstrations by the protesters, the sources said. Halting the fuel tax increase was one of the main demands listed by “yellow vest” leaders, alongside a higher minimum wage and the return of a wealth tax on high-earners abolished last year. Macron made the decision to suspend the 2019 fuel tax hikes late Monday, the sources said, after his government spent the day meeting with leaders from all of France’s political parties. Philippe will announce the fuel tax suspension later Tuesday after meeting with lawmakers in his Republic on the Move party.

Source: Egypt Independent December 04, 2018 08:03 UTC