France is in the throes of a "yellow vest" revolt that boiled over into violent rioting in Paris on Saturday the likes of which have not been seen in half a century.

Protesters have trained their fury over tax hikes and the high cost of living on Emmanuel Macron, the French president, who many dub "the president of the rich".

Facing what increasingly resembles a state of insurrection, the president and his government are looking increasingly precarious just 18 months into their five-year term.