France’s timeline of turmoil

Aug 28, 2018: Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot (left) quits cabinet, accusing President Emmanuel Macron of failure to tackle environmental issues

Sep 4: Sports Minister Laura Flessel, who is overseeing preparations for 2024 Olympics in Paris, resigns

Oct 3: Interior Minister Gerard Collomb (right) quits cabinet — third minister to resign in five weeks

Oct 16: Macron reshuffles his cabinet

Nov 17: Some 290,000 people across France demonstrate over fuel tax increases and tax cuts for richest – first so-called gilets jaunes protests

Nov 24, Dec 1, Dec 8: Weeklyprotests turn violent

Dec 10: Macron scraps fuel tax hikes and announces €10bn of extra public spending

Dec 15, Dec 22, Dec 29: Gilets jaunes protests continue

Jan 3, 2019: Macron’s communications director Sylvain Fort (right) steps down

Jan 5: Eight weeks of protests claim 10 lives. Over 2,800 people injured, 5,600 people arrested

Jan 6: Government announces three months of “national debate” covering taxes, citizenship and public services, to be hosted by Chantal Jouanno (left)

Jan 8: Thierry Mariani (left) and Jean-Paul Garraud (right) – quit centre-right Les
Republicains party to join far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National, ahead of European Parliament elections

Jan 9: Jouanno resigns after being attacked over her €14,666-month salary

Jan 15: National debate due to start


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Sources: AFP, France 24, Forbes, Reuters 
Pictures: AFP / Getty Images
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