Mark Paskewitz serves as a vice president of the National Institute of Clinical Research in Los Angeles, California, where he directs research in oncology and cardiology. An enthusiast of the French language, he follows current politics in France.

Recently elected the nation’s president, Emmanuel Macron, faced massive protests regarding his plan to finance France’s conversion to green energy by raising the tax on gasoline. As a result, only 26% of the public approved of his presidency. In office for 19 months, Macron was outpaced by former presidents François Hollande (48% at the same point his term) and Nicolas Sarkozy (29%).

The president’s action sparked a nationwide series of protests by the so-called Yellow Jackets, named after neon vests worn in roadside emergencies. The social action led to some 400 injuries and one death.

About three-quarters of the French people supported the activists’ grievances, although 52% disapproved of their tactics. So far, a clear leader has not yet emerged from the movement. The events signaled the emergence of opposition to a range of issues that threatened Macron’s power base. Waiting in the wings was the election for the European Parliament amid the popularity of the right-wing candidate, Marine Le Pen.

As of late November, the Macron government stuck to its policy of pushing ahead with the fuel tax in an effort to combat climate change.