French PM says Macron measures to boost average spending power The inhabitants of France will see their spending power boosted by 2 percent in 2019 thanks to emergency measures announced by French president Emmanuel Macron in response to the "yellow vest" protests in recent months, says French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. Three weeks until the European elections, Philippe says he has "more faith in democracy as a means of expression than in the violent movements that can develop". IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES(COMPLETES VID1341007_EN)