Explain to me what is going on in France
 

I do not follow what happens in Europe too closely. Someone explain to me what's going on in France, why people are protesting, and what the GFY people in Europe think about this.

The yellow vest movement was created online by Putin to cause instability in France on the wedge issue of high cost of living with one focus being high gas prices.

Bad bad pooty! He should have destabilized oil rich regions and started wars instead...like the usa for example...potty is such a prick...prick prick pooty...

The yellow vests were protesting about gas prices...some fringe right wing groups tried to piggy back...the media tried to milk as much clicks as possible by spinning it to their particular audiences keyword preferences...its all about the clicks...

I am looking for cliff notes, not a thirty minute video... But I will try to watch this later tonight or in the morning.

I'll give you the most honest and accurate reply so far in the thread

The original movement pertained completely towards the rise of gas tax, just normal french citizens with jobs that are unable to pay for a decent living. Taxes in France have continued to rise last few years and this was the last drop for some.

The yellow vests movement have been hijacked by right, alt-right and right extremists. The main goal of the protests is to force French President Macron to resign, with arguments he's only for the rich etc, which he is.

To put it simply, the people are sick of the liberal agenda

The France are on strike or demonstrating like always, but now wear a yellow vest and destroying more than usual.

Yellow Protest
 

Yellow Protest is happening because cost of living has become so expensive in France that normal french person can't afford to live a decent lifestyle.

And, for that French Govt has to take blame.
Because, they always show their country as holiday destination not as business center like US; result lack of job opportunities for younger generation, higher living of cost; net result another french revolution on rise.

In a nutshell.

France is pretty fucked.

They elected Macron because he wasn't Le Pen, not because he was liked.

He claims to be a man of the people, but an ex merchant banker who went to the same schools as pretty much every other French president is not a man of the people.

France has some problems, massive public sector spending that he needs to get down, so that means putting a lot of people out of work, but with a stubborn 10% unemployment rate, that is not going to go down well.

It has a welfare state it cant really afford anymore, low retirement age, pretty decent pensions, decent free healthcare. But you try telling people they're going to be worse off than the previous generation, it's not an easy sell.

The established left and right parties have been hammered, he controls pretty much everything, so if the people don't agree with his new laws, the only thing to do is kick off.

And approval for these protests is stupidly high, even Thatcher bottled it over the poll tax when rioting started and the usually conservative middle class agreed with the rioters.

coz too big turns in the Eiffel Tower..

The protest are due to the fact that after 25 years of being in the EU. France has become a worse place to live for most people. Like so many other countries. But corporations have thrived.

Not all the EUs fault, but all of French politicians fault.

Expect a Far Right government soon.

Macron as the biggest green energy activist put the tax on gas prices. Darvin's award nominate are :1orglaugh

Far right governments are all about big business and corruption. Look what happened with Italy's far-right and Trump's far-right government.

Silly - just stupid. They protest being unable to afford anything and you say they're organized by Putin. You know Macron is a right center ex banker, right? No, on second thought, you probably don't know that.

Insane. It has a leftist bent, and people are genuinely protesting.

Well, a real answer! This is the answer, simple and easy.

The protests have general support, and many people in France agree. Always be suspicious of a "man of the people" who isn't really.

People in France have the right to protest.

I was only saying other right groups have joined which of some are extremists. I know what sort of clusterfuck Europe is heading towards. When leaders continue to lie, stall and push undemocratic ideas upon us there's no other way than go out on the streets and protest just like the French are doing. But I wouldn't want a right extremist as French President, when this really turns into chaos and the dust settles we need common sense at the top and none of that left/liberal shit.

Welfare State -> Running out of Money -> Shit hits Fan soon or later, most likely with the next economic crisis...

time for some right wing magic beans :1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

alt-left magic beans + green energy magic beans better + multiculturalism(allahyakbar)))

The Far Right are less business orientated.

It's a pity that over the last 40 years governments have betrayed the people they represent. But with people as blinkered as you we see how easy it is.

To me it all looks like people need to rise up again just like the french are doing, we've been lied to for too long. Neither is there a solution in sight or any will power from government officials unless protesting and create pressure from street level.

Just look how the British government have dealt with brexit since the brits voted BREXIT, what a travesty.

Camel riders invaded too much

Obama gave us affordable healthcare that works really well for us.

But you support Trump taking away our affordable healthcare and giving a big payout to pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies.

And you live where you don't have to worry about affordable healthcare.

At first it was shocking that you support Trump taking away from Americans the things that you enjoying your life, but now it's clear that you follow Putin's & Trump's line no matter what, and you don't even live here you're halfway around the world.

From Holland we always heard it is bad to invest in France cause they are always on strike and not the friendliest people… Now they say Air France is striking again, making big losses, that will be paid by KLM. And than people say we must nationalize KLM and take it back from the France cause they don't know how to do business (without government help) :)

Here's an article from a French publication which cites a French poll. It correctly states that people are fed up with the way Macron is engaging with the voters. As one member of Macron's party says, "Given the weight of the legislative agenda, we've been very busy in the parliament and in Paris and not on the ground enough explaining how we want to do politics differently, and perhaps we've not been different enough from our predecessors."

also from the article: "France has faced another anti-elite revolt led by "yellow vest" protesters commanding widespread public support" Read some articles before you listen to the absolute nonsense on this board.


Same old elite? Macron's 'revolution' fails with fed up French