What to know about France’s yellow vest movement

The yellow vest movement in France, which began as a protest against increased fuel taxes, has taken on a much broader agenda, according to a Stanford economist who recently taught in Paris. The movement stems from frustrations over high unemployment and an economy that has stagnated, despite a decade of global expansion in other European countries, he said. France's yellow vest movement, which began as a protest against an increased fuel tax, has evolved into a broader stance against President Emmanuel Macron's economic policies, says Stanford economist Gregory Rosston. If Macron is to survive politically, he must encourage widespread economic growth along with responsible climate policies, Rosston said. Here, Rosston, director of Stanford's Public Policy Program and the Gordon Cain Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, shares his thoughts on the recent demonstrations that began in opposition to a carbon tax that was perceived to disproportionately burden the country's working class. The yellow vest ( gilets jaune ) movement - named after the high-visibility jackets the protesters wear - has since taken on a broader political agenda about how to solve some of France's toughest problems: high unemployment and a stagnant economy. Rosston was in France in fall 2018 as the faculty-in-residence for the Bing Overseas Study's Paris program. There, he taught "Economic Challenges for France” to Stanford students. The yellow vest protests have morphed into a broader movement about other economic issues, such as the high cost of living and other government tax policies. According to your research, what problems are affecting the French economy?