In 24-hours, French President Emmanuel Macron went from postponing his widely hated carbon tax on fuel and utilities to completely abandoning it. It’s yet another loss for liberal climate change policies that oppress and strip money from hard-working people. Despite this momentous defeat, the liberal broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were dead silent when Macron went from suspending the measure on Tuesday and abandoning it on Wednesday.
During their Monday report, CBS Evening News did note that “the [French] government hinted that it might offer concessions.” But the network didn’t report on the full capitulation.
On both days, Fox News Channel’s Special Report covered what the networks refused to. “French President Emmanuel Macron is bowing to intense pressure tonight and suspend a fuel tax and utility price hikes designed to combat global warming, climate change,” reported anchor Bret Baier on Tuesday. “But protesters who’ve rocked Paris with the worst rioting in decades may not be appeased.”
“The French government performed an embarrassing u-turn today after violent protests against a new carbon tax forced it to back down. Prime Minister admitting they would be deaf not to take notice,” Fox News foreign affairs correspondent Benjamin Hall elaborated on Tuesday.
As the Media Research Center previously reported earlier this week, ABC and NBC were opposed to mentioning the fact that Macron’s tax hikes were tied to his efforts to combat climate change. “But there was fury across France as people said they cared more about food on their table and warmth in their homes,” Hall added after mentioning that fact.
Fox News spoke with one angry French man who told them: “The guys in the middle of nowhere, they don't give a damn about that. What they want is to have enough money at the end of the month.” Hall also recalled that “[s]imilar green taxes have failed in Italy and Spain and even environmentalists acknowledge Macron's tax was premature.”
Seemingly making light of Macron’s predicament, Hall wrapped up his report with this quip: “President Macron campaigned on the promise of sweeping reforms and he announced he would never be bullied by protesters. It now appears that's exactly what happened.”
During Wednesday’s Special Report, Baier offered a quick update on Macron’s classic French retreat on the issue amid the threat of even further mass protests across the country:
French President Emmanuel Macron is abandoning his fuel tax plan designed to fight global warming, climate change. This follows yesterday’s suspension in reaction to weeks of violent protests by French citizens. The demonstrations have expanded beyond the energy issues to complaints about many other topics. Today France's largest farmers union said it will launch protest next week after trucking unions called for a rolling strike.
Given their reluctance to inform viewers of simple facts about the nature of Macron’s tax hikes, it will be interesting to see if the networks give the defeat any airtime Thursday morning.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
December 4, 2018
6:28:09 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Welcome back to the White House. French President Emmanuel Macron is bowing to intense pressure tonight and suspend a fuel tax and utility price hikes designed to combat global warming, climate change. But protesters who’ve rocked Paris with the worst rioting in decades may not be appeased. Correspondent Benjamin Hall tells us why tonight.
[Cuts to video]
BENJAMIN HALL: The French government performed an embarrassing U-turn today after violent protests against a new carbon tax forced it to back down. Prime Minister admitting they would be deaf not to take notice.
FRENCH PM EDOUARD PHILIPPE (Via translator): I hear this anger. It is the anger of the France which works, which works hard and which has a difficult time making ends meet. The anger of the French people who have their back to the wall.
HALL: For the last three weekends, France has been gripped by the worst riots in a generation as 300,000 protesters took to the streets. And this weekend, police fought back using tear gas and water cannons. Three people have died. More than 130 have been injured and 412 arrested. President Macron's green tax on fuel was to raise funds for renewable energy and counter global warming. But there was fury across France as people said they cared more about food on their table and warmth in their homes.
PROTESTER: The guys in the middle of nowhere, they don't give a damn about that. What they want is to have enough money at the end of the month.
HALL: But the protests have morphed and now ambulance drivers, students, pensioners, even riot police are voicing their grievances. Similar green taxes have failed in Italy and Spain and even environmentalists acknowledge Macron's tax was premature.
PIERRE CANNET (World Wide Fund for Nature): What the crisis shows is that ecological transition has not, for the moment, been thought through by the government for the daily life of the French.
HALL: As Paris cleans up, it’s already bracing for another round of violence. The question now is what demands will the protesters make next.
[Cuts back to live]
President Macron campaigned on the promise of sweeping reforms and he announced he would never be bullied by protesters. It now appears that's exactly what happened.
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
December 5, 2018
6:43:14 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: French President Emmanuel Macron is abandoning his fuel tax plan designed to fight global warming, climate change. This follows yesterday’s suspension in reaction to weeks of violent protests by French citizens. The demonstrations have expanded beyond the energy issues to complaints about many other topics. Today France's largest farmers union said it will launch protest next week after trucking unions called for a rolling strike.
