Its been a year since hundreds of thousands of french citizens protested against a hike on fuel prices what became known as the yellow best movement against social inequality pose a challenge to president imagine when background but whats changed since then this is inside story. Hello welcome to the program. When hundreds of thousands of people dress in florissant sleeveless jackets protested in france last november not many people realized how powerful a movement it would become paris became the center of this growing anger there were scenes of destruction and chaos across the french capital it was all sparked by a tax on fuel but it quickly turned into a weekend of running battles with French Police the protesters demands grew to include president eman when microns resignation he refused to step down saying he was the right man to fix frances problems that includes addressing low wages higher Living Standards and economic inequality although micron says hes taken measures a year on the protests say he has not done enough. Well bring in our guest shortly but 1st reports from paris. Well the Yellow Vest Movement began one year ago it began as a protest over high fuel prices but it soon turned into something so much bigger a grassroots social movement over the cost of living and against a french president and government that many people in for all said were simply out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people now where the Yellow Vest Movement has really succeeded over the last year as its inspired many supporters and followers not just in france but in other countries around the world its also really thrown a spotlight on a whole segment of Society People who work who have jobs but still struggle financially and it forced the french president. To change his approach and try and do more for working people who say that they are actually poor one of the problems though is this Yellow Vest Movement seems to have lost momentum over the past months because there are less people joining the weekly street protests im scared for the movements future because we have failed to be united if everyone was in the street all this would have been over a long time ago it would have been heard the movement can take on a different shape now whats important is that you raised awareness gave people a voice and took risks what the protesters want now is to try and revive the cause but it wont be easy because many people in france even though they support the cause opinion polls suggest that most french people dont want a return to the street demonstrations so if the movement isnt to be a street protest movement well what is it because thats the big question and what many people say is what it needs to become is some sort of Political Force or United Organization so far though it has failed to do that im Natasha Butler in paris for inside story. Lets bring in. Chantry. Movement. From by strike philip is professor. Of french and european politics of University College london he joins us from london romy bush will is an economist and associate fellow of the friends is this use of international and Strategic Affairs and joins us from paris welcome to all of you alexander is the best movement staging a comeback. Yes this week and we have a lot of truth and. You know. Theres really a. Transformer are. Probably us. This weekend we are going back here. Philip do you think the movement has the potential to continue building the momentum used to have in the past where we shall see its a very hard question but i think who would get storm or known that a year on you know the yellow vests would still take to the streets as they did on saturday i yesterday for the one year you know of of a street protest a weekly street protest it started off with occupying roundabouts in a sort of outskirts of big cities and sort of semi urban semi rural areas and distin on you know theyre still there one year after so yes i think its clearly could still be there for a while i think the protests now has is more its in a sense big than actually taking to the streets being there you know people wearing yellow vests it is really its a sign of little protest you know which is i think deeper and wider than that really were not seeing the same last crowds we used to see in the past for you do you believe the spirit of the rebellion is still there. Well the movement has always been very decentralized and. The main issue has been when some violent groups took of or what actually was the core of the movement in the 1st place so theres really a complex dynamic in this and this movement but still the the social malaria is still very present and varying grange in French Society so whatever the shape the Movement Really takes a follows in coming months and years this this man as this is still still there and they will its very likely to to persis for for deep economy christens and and their group of ation of difficulties related to Living Standards and the housing bubble this is a key element of that but of course theres a theres an area of issues that are still very much influencing the political debate and the key thing in this movement is that trade unions have been really on the sidelines because they didnt really address those concerns and more concerns about particle or interest under the same time Political Parties most of them has somehow collapsed on the french political stage so theres really a lark a for a presenter to vittie of existing. Political groups and trade unions and thats why you see that kind of that kind of movement the and its likely to percys in terms of that the managers and french alexander when you look back into what you have been going through for almost a year what do you think was the biggest achievement of the and what was the biggest failure i think the movement of you know that you didnt get any of that satisfactory answer as follows. But we are increased the bands very very unthreatened its increased after years of projects of fear we are or someone managed to make the link between these additional and stronger and especially today and we becomes a manager it is true there are moments in france our us wrestle 70 today it is hard to bring a bus go engines going down jumps and to arrive to grow by the moment the prospect of december fighting is very encouraging and we will fully participate and now all we make your creates a really global moment. Philip where you have a Movement Like e. L. O. Best with took the political establishment by surprise however it does not have a Leadership Structure do you think of this is one of the key witnesses of the movement. Possibly i think its probably a sign of strength as well as a sign of weakness as you put it because a sign of strength in a sense its a very new type of movement weve never seen that before its a related to Mass Movement although lets not overdo that yesterday across france i think it was about no more than 30000. 00 people taking to the streets which is relatively its not a big number and far less than a year ago but its not its not the numbers which matter here its sensually you know the fact that its another way also of doing politics so the fact that it is a Leaderless Movement is a sign of democracy healthy if you like. Its also a sign of weakness in a sense that of course the when you think about in terms of political outcomes its much more difficult to formulate you know political law policy inputs and be heard by any power any political power if yourself you know youre not led by you know any any group or any any type of leader and i think thats probably the the current problem of the yellow vest at the moment really when you youve been talking earlier about the ongoing economic pressure in france but when you look at the job creations which have been climbing over the last few months unemployment which has been declining at the same time couldnt this be one of the reasons why the the general sentiment among the people in france is no longer supportive of the universe movement. I well i dont really think so its true theres been this improvement in the headline figures in terms of employment but Employment Conditions remain really poor and especially for whole part of French Society really stuck in in short Term Contracts and by short Term Contracts i mean contractors for a few weeks really extremely quick areas situations so Employment Conditions remain really poor for all parts of our French Society and in the context of rising housing prices all this housing crisis the crisis taking place theres really an amount of the comic pressure that is really severe on many people in this country in a cooler across the globe thats related to all kind of macroeconomic factors and monetary issues so finks for people really concerned have not really improved and headline employment figures are very very general area greg 8. Numbers and if you look behind that are truly are the economy reality facing many people and its not only an educated its rather them but also younger people in this country in many countries across the globe in and in europe and and we have to be aware of course the impact of full serve the Global Financial crisis and the euro crisis in europe and the policies that have been put in place and these have had really lasting f. X. On on people on working conditions on the access to the to the work of the job market and to to to housing so. Behind those those really headline figures those really are now. Much more precise that issues facing many people. Alexander. You know versts movement was always saying that it wants to take things into its own hands youve been acting basically on your own for many many months do you think it is about time for you to reach are to different Key Players Like for example the trade unions to be able to set up stronger wide big barleys across the nation. I think we need make the link between is a trench unions for everyone because now we have a lot of problem in france not. 40 we have another problem and setters and now when the parents are really in movements such a movement in france which is a trade union with a succession. Well today the president. Not here. Now we need if there is a really Good Movement so far. No no there is philip dont you think very. Much you know well another man is over the months to take the steam from. To take the steam out of the discontent movement by starting those measures particular when it comes to the. Alleviating of the case for the poor people who fronts. Well is the need to some extent not of course too late and too little for people to sort of protest against us policies of course thats why the protest is still on a year after it started but i think why we can say that it wasnt on the script it was on. So early in this presidency you know so many people taking to the street and protesting course initially it was it seemed to be quite i think dont take with protest against the attacks on fuel then also it was about speed limit i think it stayed put on speed limit but he conceded very much by scrapping the tax on fuel but then it became something wider and more political and i think its about its about pates about the state of Public Services about employment its about inequalities so of course what the yellow vests have done is to lay bare probably the sort of the nature of the economy project of mccormack who was elected with a reputation of being a rather centrist figure and it seems that now the yellow vests seem really to disagree with that they see what essentially is policy is the economy policies have been at the service of the of the rich and not not to our benefit so i think clearly is had probably to reflect upon that and im not saying is the yellow vests have made incompletely change or attacked but i think at least hes slowed down and had to take into account a number of their of their claims. Remy has the movement in a well another changed. President because he was keen on continuing his liberalizing with forms to fix the decades long problems of the French Economy and to a certain point he is saying you know what i have to give a 2nd thought because of whats going on the streets. Well the government has tried to to. Some of the consonants that really were voiced by the men in the protests but generally since 2017 the government has been mostly concerned with for avoiding major strides well for avoiding to antagonize trade unions too much with arch really taking into account this really grassroots movements that true its really come to the fall i dont yet know best movements and after the year the vice movements movement started they. Set of measures in terms of social spending so thats was significant to nowhere but certainly not really enough if you take into account the whole set of. Demands and all the nice words expressed in those demonstrations acts really go much beyond the initial the initial demands in terms of fuel costs and things like that so theyre still really had this imbalance in the in france in europe in politics. Alexander do you still think that president mccone must resign must go. Then does not have does not hear. Me and you know less bar and reserve reproach is quite so important fact i mean i mean i read here of the population already that actually pulled a string or is a lot of awareness and therefore are aware of country disparages and grow up knowing and especially now is invited to bear and until 40 c. We denounce explodes and mass and then when i said there was definitely a statement you put it says when the us. Dollar part we are. Micro these are copied that is and we need the release us shot of bullets in france. Phillip how concerned should be with this perception that has been relayed by Alexander Mccall is widely seen by many people as someone who is disconnected from reality not the man of the people being closer to. Which elite i think he should be pretty concerned indeed because and i think also is its come to really accept that that ought to be taken seriously at least protein advisors told him so for instance he launches tomorrows National Debate to try really to p. S. The tension which was rising across the country but of course these are cosmetic things you know it doesnt really address the deep down the middle in society so on the one hand it is fair to say that my core is seen as an hour each president president really working in the interests of the richer segments of the populations of post of the sort of lower middle classes and the poor that is probably a fact is also personality d is not doesnt always go down well with the public a bit arent going to bit. Thats all those sort of thing but that should be resigned right now is a yellow vest you my thing so but is governor a reason to resign and now why because his strength is is exactly lies in the witness of all these Major Political opponents are nowhere to be seen starting with the left the left hasnt benefited from the movement and the ride the sort of mainstream right neither i think the the only all the major party which is doing well is the far right you know the hosmer of monash and out of money look then so mark or knows that and hes certainly thinking you know if i have again to do you have a rerun of the 2702nd run again against a band i will win again so i think hes gone the reason to resign because opponents are politically very weak remove from a purely Economic Perspective what you think should do next to be able to answer some of the concerns voiced by the best movement. Well theres this really. Deep imbalances really facing the French Economy especially against a european background and there was all this focus from the start of his presidency on european reforms to further european integration especially within the euro zone business been extremely little toke of rebalancing is specially among European Countries between france and germany most of the debate has been about grand. Plans for. Structure i mean systematic reforms a Banking Union fiscal transfers and things like that but it hasnt happened in in any way because of the german position that mostly but then this has been a real debate about economy rebalancing and now european governments are somehow asking the German Government to spend more. To restart growth in europe it comes very late and thats a very narrow debate this should be a much broader and deeper debate about its real economic balancing how much you bring back economy activity to those relegated regions where the yellow based movement has really started and of course whats this been really more most striking was in the city centers but its really been a country wide protests especially in those relegated areas so from an economy perspective its really hard to make all of these areas competitive again and its not just about lowering the labor cost and things like that its also about innovation called a nation. To to find a more balanced economy. Alexander whats next for you for the Yellow Vests Movement whats your plan for the future the need future. Well the church i think some of mine today has a wisp of celebrity in such a story and in france that the haji we need bonding relation between trade unions and association we must combine. Zen in order to go to the isnt necessary to take the gains and the and to feel that in the dance they look at it and action thats why we are created our for it to go for it youve got a movement then of our own bishop is to give back the keys to the people and we need to who to give the streets who will transform them i knew my can because what it took is not good for us of corporate. Everybody in france but you just want. A few percentage. Of a front france. Im sorry but my knowledge no or philip fronts in a way mcallen is keen on seeing his controversial pension reform pass through the parliament could this be another magnet and there would rally many many people including the yellow bus movement against him. Probably because i think the 1st signs are not good for my call i think this is a highly controversial measure which dont really true just sort of uniform eyes different Pension Schemes but of course when you do that you will sort of. Undo or change Pension Schemes and people will get unhappy about that and some cases rightly so so i think the 1st sign probably thats an effect of the yellow vests is that when martha go you sort of started talking about his big Pension Scheme and reform i think he said 1st we ought to have a long National Debate so thats probably a sign you know this is a yellow you know yellow vest effect that before you were probably you try to bulldoze literally the scene and just do it. Consult of course that might not be absolutely real consultation but i think she is being careful yes its a very it has to tread without extremely carefully extraordinary times ahead for the throw society indeed philip but earlier highlights on the chantry room a blizzard thank you very much indeed. And thank you too for watching you can see the program again any time by visiting our website www dot com for further discussion go to our Facebook Page thats facebook dot com forward slash a. J. Its a story you can also join the conversation on twitter our hand it is a. J. And so i sort of for me hush about bella and the whole team here in doha by phone oh. I. From the ounces here in london through cost Center Acting special guests in conversation as the resistance and i see joy in the midst of pain your books do their unprompted uninterrupted why are all of us people of color and theyre just one color this is why there is white anything that should every people have no color but exactly Fatima Bhutto meets Marc Lamont Hill i very much thought i was going to get shot it was a bad movie studio b. Unscripted on aljazeera. Im. An investigation into the real powers that control the World Health Organization their obligation to their shareholders completely overwhelmed zennie consideration of Public Health can they be trusted with building a healthier future if their loyalty becomes questionable these are the people that are out of the h one n one is it getting worse difficult for you now oh yes those who says dont your Attorneys Trust that you trust wholl on aljazeera. You stand the differences. And the similarities of cultures across the world. Aljazeera. Fully back to go with a look at our main stories here on aljazeera police in hong kong have stormed a University Campus held by protesters after an all night standoff this is what it looks like as why its officers moved in not long before dawn with fires raging inside and outside the University Buildings earlier some protesters held petrol bombs and even shot hours at officers who fired back with tear gas and water cannon at one stage police warn that they would use live bullets saw a clock has the latest among this is certainly what people were describing as the last paragraph
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