French President Emmanuel Macron launched a “Great National Debate” in January to address the so-called yellow vests protests, which started over his taxation policy, among other things.
“I pledged in the 2017 (presidential) campaign to reduce taxes, that will be part of the big macroeconomic choices coming out of this debate,” Macron said during one of the debates in eastern France.
At the same time, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe unveiled the next steps in his reform agenda: it includes cutting jobless benefits as part of an overhaul of unemployment insurance. These can total as much as 7,700 euros (6,631 pounds) monthly for those who lose high-paying positions. As the official specified, the reform might help to save up to 3.9 billion euros over three years and will be presented in the coming months.