Gilets jaunes: Protest of the rural poor? November 30, 2018

Posted by Citizen of Nowhere in Uncategorized



The Gilets Jaunes movement in France is threatening an already unpopular Macron government. The movement is blocking roads and petrol stations and clashing with police throughout France. The protest is morphing from a protest against fuel rises, into a general one against another turn of the austerian screw, inflicted by that former great white hope of the European Centrists, Manuel Macron. Macron’s popularity continues to nose-dive.

Interestingly, demographically the GJs are primarily a movement of the working rural poor in France. Urban support is limited.

Anyone who has lived in rural Ireland knows the syndrome; because of the political decision not to provide adequate rural public transport, you are locked into maintaining a poison-spewing monster just to get to work or the shops or to maintain a social life. It’s even worse if both partners are working.

A urbanite can often avoid these costs, and what with the generally lower wages in the country, compulsory car ownership means the real wages of rural workers start at several thousands per year less than their urban equivalents, simply due to the costs of cars.

If you accept the need to use ‘Green market signals’ rather than direct public intervention to effect environmental change (which I don’t) then it makes sense to raise taxes on fuel. However this ignores the needs of rural workers locked into traveling long distances by car every day.

There’s all sorts of potential for the GJs to become a Poujadist anti-environmental reactionary force, and Le Pen of course has come out in support. But then it could go the other way and be the next wave against centrist austerity.

The CGT trades union has called for support of the GJs as part of a demonstration for social justice tomorrow. There has to be an alternative.