Any carbon emissions taxes would have to be phased in very gradually in order to give people enough time to adjust, such as by purchasing electric vehicles. Otherwise it will be impossible to maintain political support.

Truly universal CO2 tax would be OK with yellow vests.

Now the problem is that CO2 for cheap gasoline cars is taxed a lot. While CO2 for airplane fuel for better off to go on holidays is not. And they get tax credits to buy nice electric cars. Regressive taxation at it's best.

Yellow vest started with this, but is not just this. The subject was the tip of an iceberg, this iceberg being that a whole working class barely makes a living.

France is a welfare state, but we still have 10%-15% of people hit by poverty.

How is it acceptable in one of the leading economies of EU, and how is it freaking possible we still have this have this problem in the twenty-first century?

I only skimmed TFA, but it seems that it talk about this. Environment and social issues.

IMHO new statics won't change a thing. Political leaders are already aware of this.

I don't know about France, per se, but in most western nations, gasoline/petrol used by farmers is not taxed (or taxed much less) vs the same fuel used by industry or regular people. I suspect france was the same. The yellow vest protestors mostly originated from rural areas. It was, IMO, yet another example of the growing urban/rural divide.