Macron faces backlash over comments

President Emmanuel Macron - President Emmanuel Macron's hopes of ending the economic anger of Yellow Vest protesters by launching a national debate ran aground on Tuesday when he sparked new outrage by saying some of those struggling economically were just “screwing around”. Macron had planned to try to end a rising tide of economic anger with a speech in Normandy announcing a round of public gatherings that would form a "grand national debate" on the issues facing France, from tax reform to adopting green energies. But instead he sparked an immediate backlash by seeming to suggest that many of those struggling economically had only themselves to blame. His sentiments, as well as the vulgar expression he used in French, sparked immediate reactions on social media from politicians on both the left and the right.