As President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Réunion, the cost of living remains one of the main worries of those living in the French overseas territory, almost a year after Yellow Vest protests paralysed the island for at least three weeks, reports RFI.
Following on from his visit to Mayotte on Tuesday, Macron was greeted in Saint Denis de la Réunion on Wednesday by a general strike and a crisis situation that hasn't let up over the past 12 months.
For his first visit to the territory as president, local trade unions have united in their call for a strike to underline the high cost of living and social inequality that has plagued the island and the perceived lack of response from the French mainland to the issues at hand: lack of job creation, stagnant salaries, reduced pensions, lack of housing and failing public services.
However, despite calls on social media to take to the streets in protest, representatives for the Yellow Vests, or gilets jaunes, in Réunion have said they do not intend to directly confront the authorities.