France's prime minister has suspended planned increases to fuel taxes for at least six months in response to weeks of sometimes violent protests, the first major U-turn by President Emmanuel Macron's administration in 18 months in office.
In announcing the decision, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said anyone would have "to be deaf or blind" not to see or hear the roiling anger on the streets over a policy that Macron has defended as critical to combating climate change.
"No tax is worth jeopardising the unity of the nation," said Philippe.
He said the time would be used to discuss other measures to help the working poor and squeezed middle-class who rely on vehicles to get to work and go shopping.
He warned citizens, however, that they could not expect better public services and lower taxes.
The measures will cost around 2 billion euros ($A3.1 billion), but will be offset by corresponding spending cuts, a government source said.
The so-called "yellow vest" movement started on November 17 as a social-media protest group named for the high-visibility jackets all motorists in France carry in their cars.
It began with the aim of highlighting the squeeze on household spending brought about by Macron's taxes on fuel.
However, over the past three weeks the movement has evolved into a wider, broadbrush anti-Macron uprising, with many criticising the president for pursuing policies they say favour the rich and do nothing to help the poor.
After three weeks of rising frustration, there was scant indication Philippe's measures would placate the "yellow vests", who themselves are struggling to find a unified position.
The timing of the tax U-turn is uncomfortable for Macron.
It comes as governments meet in Poland to try to agree measures to avert the most damaging consequences of global warming, an issue Macron has made a central part of his agenda. His carbon taxes were designed to address the issue.
But the scale of the protests against his policies made it almost impossible to plough ahead.
On Saturday, the Arc de Triomphe national monument was defaced and avenues off the Champs Elysees were damaged. Cars, buildings and some cafes were torched.
The unrest is estimated to have cost the economy millions, with large-scale disruption to retailers, wholesalers, the restaurant and hotel trades. In some areas, manufacturing has been hit in the run up to Christmas.
Macron, a 40-year-old former investment banker and economy minister, came to office in mid-2017 promising to overhaul the economy, revitalise growth and draw foreign investment by making the nation a more attractive place to do business.
In the process he earned the tag "president of the rich" for seeming to do more to court big business and ease the tax burden on the wealthy. Discontent has steadily risen among blue-collar workers and others who feel he represents an urban "elite".
