Emmanuel Macron promised “significant” tax cuts for France’s middle classes while cutting public spending but told the French they must work like their “neighbours”, in a much-awaited response to five-months of “yellow vest” protests.

In what the French media dubbed his “moment of truth”, the 41-year old centrist promised citizens a “new act in our Republic” during a marathon two hour and 20 minute press conference at the Elysée - his first since his election - in which he confessed his way of running the country had lacked “humanity”.

After enacting a whirlwind set of reforms, notably loosening labour laws, the president has been on the back foot since he was blindsided by nationwide protests initially fuel tax rises but which morphed into wider anger at the inability of provincial France to make ends meet.

Much of the fury was directed towards Mr Macron in person, seen as an arrogant “president of the rich”. Stunned, he offered a first string of sweeteners in December worth €10 billion euros but this failed to calm anger among low-income workers.

He then launched an unprecedented three-month nationwide “great debate”, personally taking place in many himself. Millions made online contributions.