For three months, France has been swamped by protests from thousands of French citizens whose patience with their nation’s political establishment has snapped. Far from fading, the gilets jaunes have reduced France’s president Emmanuel Macron to engaging in televised listening sessions across the country. Such is the situation in which “Jupiter” – as he’s dubbed after he likened his presidential-style to the rule of the Roman god – finds himself.
All social movements have unexpected side effects. One of the gilets jaunes’ unforeseen impacts has been to bring to the fore widespread discontent about issues considered by most French politicians to be “settled”. It’s been a long time since a French president, ministers and parliamentarians have had to listen to people from non-Parisian France loudly and publicly berate them about topics ranging from immigration to why they loathe the European Union.
