- Title: France's Macron visits overseas territory of Reunion Island
- Date: 25th October 2019
- Summary: SAINT-PAUL, REUNION ISLAND, FRANCE (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (AGENCY POOL) (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING: "It's normal that this anger remains because things have not been sorted out yet and it will take time. It will take time because neither the region, the mayors, nor the government can resolve these problems from one day to the next. It is true that for decades we answered this anger with public money. Prices are too high? The state will write you a cheque. There aren't enough jobs? We'll subsidise jobs, regional authorities will hire people. It's not sustainable, we lied to people. That's why we have reached the end of this system, because in the end someone pays: the taxpayer, that's you." VARIOUS OF MACRON GREETING PEOPLE, TAKING PICTURES AND SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS
- Embargoed: 8th November 2019 14:05
- Keywords: Emmanuel Macron Indian Ocean Reunion Island 'yellow vest' protests economic development unemployment French overseas territory
- Location: SAINT-DENIS, SAINT-PIERRE & SAINT-PAUL, REUNION ISLAND, FRANCE
- City: SAINT-DENIS, SAINT-PIERRE & SAINT-PAUL, REUNION ISLAND, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003B2LIBLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS WRITTEN PROFANITY IN SHOT 18
President Emmanuel Macron visited the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion from Wednesday (October 23) to Friday (October 25) as part of his trip to France's overseas territories to discuss economic development.
Macron met with local authorities and citizen representatives mainly over the issues of unemployment, social inequalities and high living costs, which are rampant on an island where 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
In November 2018 the island came to a standstill for over three weeks as thousands of 'yellow vest' protesters took to the streets demanding that mainland France take measures to remedy the lack of jobs and housing.
"It's normal that this anger remains because things have not been sorted out yet and it will take time. It will take time because neither the region, the mayors, nor the government can resolve these problems from one day to the next," Macron said at a news conference after meeting with job seekers and promoters of employment projects.
Before his three-day visit to Reunion, Macron spent a day in Mayotte and made a brief trip to the Glorioso Islands.
(Production: Pascale Antonie and Noemie Olive) - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
