President Emmanuel Macron of France is facing police calls to bring in the army to defend Paris from “yellow vest” attacks following last Saturday’s unprecedented riots in the French capital.

The police unions' plea came as the government held crisis talks with the leaders of all of France’s political parties, many of whom urged Mr Macron to instantly scrap “green” fuel tax hikes to avoid the country spiralling into a permanent state of insurrection.

The three-week revolt has exposed a deep malaise over high taxation, the price of living and a sense of social injustice. Much of the ire has been directed against Mr Macron with many protesters complaining he is an arrogant and out of touch “president of the rich”.

Several regional state prefects - civil servants normally sworn to silence - were cited by Le Monde as slamming the “Parisian arrogance” of his government, totally cut-off from poor provincial France and in a “technocratic bubble” that was “without feelers”. One was citing as dubbing the situation “pre-revolutionary”.

"What is expressed the most is hatred for the President," said another.