- Title: France's Macron visits overseas territory of Reunion Island
- Date: 25th October 2019
- Summary: SAINT-PIERRE, REUNION ISLAND, FRANCE (OCTOBER 25, 2019) (AGENCY POOL) FRUIT ON TABLE AT PICNIC VARIOUS OF FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, EATING MANGO BEACH TOMATOES AND GRILLED FISH ON TABLE MACRON GREETING PEOPLE SHEEP IN PEN MACRON ARRIVING, PETTING SHEEP MACRON WITH FARMERS NEAR SHEEP PEN SHEEP VARIOUS OF MACRON SPEAKING TO FARMER SAINT-DENIS, REUNION ISLAND, FRANCE (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (AGENCY POOL) EXTERIOR OF PREFECTURE VARIOUS OF MACRON AT MEETING WITH CITIZEN REPRESENTATIVES TALKING ABOUT LOCAL ISSUES SUCH AS UNEMPLOYMENT AND PURCHASING POWER CITIZEN REPRESENTATIVE SPEAKING MACRON LISTENING SAINT-PAUL, REUNION ISLAND, FRANCE (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (AGENCY POOL) VARIOUS OF MACRON AT NEWS CONFERENCE LISTENING TO QUESTION FROM REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING: "The crisis ('yellow vest' protests) was quite violent in Reunion because of high living costs, employment and education-related difficulties, poverty of 40 percent, and so all these difficulties build up. And also our system is changing, the current model is at the end of its life, and people can feel that. Collectively they decided that we're not moving fast enough to find solutions."
- 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: LVA001B2LIBLZ
- 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.
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