Once and future purchasing power, the yellow vests and populist economics

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand a spontaneous movement of social mobilization and protest known as the yellow vests and their unrelenting demand for increased buying power.

Design/methodology/approach

A capsule history of France and the universal struggle for a living wage lead to a post-Marxian process of intensified civic action to support the universal aims of well-being and fair play.

Findings

The yellow vests appear to be assuming the proportions of an unorthodox labor fraternity, a novel pressure network transcending the usual time-and-money quests of integrated trade unions.

Research limitations/implications

Little attention is paid to the changing nature of employment, work itself and labor competitiveness. These require further research.

Originality/value

Internal and external factors are identified, combining to explain the lack of discipline and orderly evolution by both animators and demonstrators.

Citation

Richardson, J.G. (2021), "Once and future purchasing power, the yellow vests and populist economics", Foresight, Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 242-256. https://doi.org/10.1108/FS-01-2020-0004