Note : This article was originally published in The Jakarta Post on 17 December 2018. ERIA's Energy Economist, Dr Alloysius Joko Purwanto is the author.

French Prime Minister Édouard Phillipe finally announced recently that the government shall suspend the plan to further increase gasoline and diesel prices by the end of this year. This moratorium should at least temporarily calm the violence of the gilets jaunes (yellow vest movement) in France against the unprecedented fuel price increases under Emmanuel Macron’s administration in the last couple of months. (Read the paper edition here)