Macron responds to gilets jaunes protests with €5bn tax cuts
by Angelique Chrisafis in Paris from on (#4DXBM)
President recognises protesters' demands but vowed to still liberalise the economy
Emmanuel Macron has vowed to make his style of politics more "humane", but insisted he would press on with his project to liberalise the French economy and overhaul its welfare state despite five months of demonstrations by gilets jaunes (yellow vest) anti-government protesters.
In his first press conference in two years as president, Macron promised a5bn (4.3bn) worth of cuts to income tax for lower and average earners as well as pension rises for the poorest and vowed no more schools or hospitals would be closed during his presidency, as he responded to protests.
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