(PARIS) — President Emmanuel Macron broke his silence Monday on the exceptional protests shaking France and his presidency, promising broad tax relief for struggling workers and pensioners — and acknowledging his own responsibility in fueling the nation’s anger. Speaking with a soft voice and gentle tone, Macron pleaded during a brief televised address for a return to calm after almost four weeks of protests that started in neglected provinces to oppose fuel tax increases and progressed to rioting in Paris. “We are at a historic moment for our country,” the French leader said from the capital’s presidential Elysee Palace.