Not enough..

French PM suspends fuel tax hike

After weeks of mass protests, government backs down.

By ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Tuesday announced a six-month suspension of a controversial fuel tax rise.

The climbdown comes after three weeks of mass demonstrations by the Yellow Jackets movement against the planned tax increase.

An earlier government concession in the form of a tax tweak — suspending carbon taxes during periods of high petrol prices — failed to get Yellow Jackets off the streets.

Macron decided to suspend the fuel tax hikes late Monday, AFP reported, after his government spent the day meeting leaders from all of France’s political parties.

Seventy-two percent of the French back the Yellow Jackets, according to a weekend survey, while Macron’s approval rating has dropped to 23 percent and Philippe’s to 26, according to a new IFOP poll.