France’s parliament approves Yellow Vest tax cuts put forward by Macron

The French National Assembly has approved a package of emergency concessions first announced by President Emmanuel Macron in a bid to end the violent Yellow Vest protests. The tax cuts for low-income workers were put forward by Macron in a televised address earlier this month to help cool weeks of protests that brought major disruption to the country. The measures provide a “quick, strong and concrete response” to the crisis, said Labor Minister Muriel Penicaud in a debate which lasted into the early hours of Friday morning. The measures include the removal of a planned tax increase for a majority of pensioners and tax-free overtime pay for all workers. Economists estimate the cuts will cost up to €15 billion ($17 billion). The concessions will have to be approved by the Senate.