'Yellow Vest' Protests Revealed 'Identity Crisis' in France - Accounts Minister

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The so-called yellow vest protests against higher fuel taxes has shown that France is suffering from a deep "identity crisis," which is a result of decades of social and territorial inequalities, French Public Action and Accounts Minister Gerald Darmanin told Le Figaro newspaper.

"We can see a deep crisis, which I call the 'crisis of 30.' It has mostly affected those who live 30 kilometers [19 miles] from large cities and is the result of 30 years of territorial and social inequality. It is not only about the frustration over taxes, but also about the identity crisis," Darmanin said in an interview published on Thursday.

READ MORE: French Police Union Calls on Police to Join Yellow Vests' Protests

Nearly three weeks of "yellow vest" protests triggered by planned fuel tax hikes culminated in violent clashes between police and protesters, some of whom were torching cars and looting stores in Paris.

French Finance and Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday that the government had decided it would not increase the national fuel tax at all in 2019.