French President Emmanuel Macron has given a long-awaited response to the yellow vest protest movement with promises of tax cuts, higher pensions and a reform of the civil service, BBC reports.
Despite insisting that order must return, he acknowledged a "lack of trust" in the establishment.
President Macron recognised that at the core of the movement were "fair demands".
The protests against the fuel price rises - intended to fund eco-friendly projects - escalated into the gilets jaunes, or yellow vest, movement, a national uprising against what protesters see as economic injustice in France.
Although he questioned in his speech whether he had taken a "wrong turn", he insisted that government reforms so far had been right, but not fast enough.
The president said he had "learnt a lot" from national debates held with French citizens across the country - an unforeseen political exercise.