Los Angeles-based Mark Paskewitz guides clinical operations at the National Institute of Clinical Research as vice president, with oversight for geographically distinct clinical research teams. An avid reader, Mark Paskewitz regularly peruses French magazines, with a focus on understanding politics and current events in France.
One event that unfurled in France starting in November 2018 centered on the emergence of the "Yellow Vests" in the wake of an unpopular increase in gas taxes. Not tied to a political platform, this populist movement takes its name from the brightly colored safety vests that all French motorists are required to keep in their trunk in case of breakdown.
The basic message of the Yellow Vests calls for higher salaries and lower taxes within an austerity government led by President Emmanuel Macron. The beleaguered president has instituted corporate tax reforms designed to boost outside investment at a time when economic inequalities among average citizens are increasing. A particular fracture is between the provinces and the capital city, with the demonstrations bringing Yellow Vests to the center of Paris’ luxury shopping districts.
