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Trump says Macron's fuel tax U-turn proves him right

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Trump says Macron's fuel tax U-turn proves him right
Photo: AFP

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday French leader Emmanuel Macron's retreat on fuel tax hikes amid riots in Paris vindicated his rejection of the 2015 Paris Agreement on combating climate change.

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Pressure has been mounting on the French government after protests degenerated into the worst street clashes in central Paris in decades over increases on petrol and diesel planned for January 1.

"I am glad that my friend @EmmanuelMacron and the protestors in Paris have agreed with the conclusion I reached two years ago," Trump tweeted.

"The Paris Agreement is fatally flawed because it raises the price of energy for responsible countries while whitewashing some of the worst 
polluters...in the world."

Last month Trump launched a volley of sarcastic and angry tweets aimed at settling a few scores with Macron after his recent visit to Paris. Trump chided his French counterpart over his low approval ratings and France's "unfair" wine tariffs.

Just two days after meeting Macron in Paris along with other world leaders Donald Trump ridiculed the French president for his low approval rating at home as well as France's high unemployment rate.

Trump also launched on attack on the French president over this call for a European army, a proposal the US leader earlier had dubbed "insulting."

Trump suggested Macron might have been trying to divert attention from his low popularity ratings and problems at home.

"The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France, 26%, and an unemployment rate of almost 10%," Trump said.

"He was just trying to get onto another subject. By the way, there is no country more Nationalist than France, very proud people-and rightfully so!" He then tweeted: "MAKE FRANCE GREAT AGAIN" in capital letters.

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Anonymous 2018/12/05 23:33
Trump is an uneducated ignoramus, ill mannered and a psychopathic liar; Macron has been trying to bring France into the 21st century and the conservative people in France want nothing to change.
Anonymous 2018/12/05 18:32
I'm not particularly enamoured with President Trump, but what he said about President Macron was right. Well done for saying so, Trump.

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