Macron pulls out of Davos to deal with street protests
French President Emmanuel Macron will not attend the annual general meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in order reach a compromise with protesters in France.
This content was published on
1 minute
A busy schedule, including resolving the impasse with street protesters, was given as a reason for the decision by the Elysée on Friday.
The “Gilets Jaunes” or Yellow Vests movement began in December against an increase in fuel tax and has seen thousands of people taking to the streets, protesting against the rise in cost of living. The protesters want a repeal of the fuel tax, as well as better economic conditions via higher taxation of the wealthy. Many have also called for Macron to step down as president.
Some of these protests have been violent and the authorities have had to deploy an unprecedented number of police for crowd control.
While his Davos plans have been cancelled, Macron will be attending the annual “Choose France” summit in Versailles on January 21.
Macron’s no-show is another blow for the WEF after US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday he would not be attending due to an impasse with the Democrats over the construction of a wall along the country’s border with Mexico.
More
More
Trump cancels trip to Davos over government shutdown
This content was published on
US President Donald Trump has cancelled his planned trip to the annual general meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss resort of Davos.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Direct democracy vs. France’s street protesters
This content was published on
Street protesters in France have obtained concessions from government, but it's different from Swiss direct democracy, writes Daniel Warner.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.