How can citizens be protected from a shock in the price of gasoline or diesel? The French government has worked to find solutions to ease the recent spike in fuel prices, which have jumped since the start of the war in the Middle East. The main focus has been on not cutting into tax revenue.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's team mentioned on Wednesday, March 11, the idea of "capping margins" or the possibility of "smoothing out increases and decreases." But on Thursday, a meeting between the government and fuel distributors at the Finance Ministry ended without any decisions on possible price controls. Only a few private initiatives (Total, Leclerc) led to temporary price caps or reductions, while on Thursday, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP) calculations, the average price per liter in France was €1.87 for SP95-E10 gasoline and €2.03 for diesel.
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Middle East wars bring risks and windfalls for TotalEnergies
How are other European countries responding, as drivers and professional haulers across the continent face significant additional costs? Some, like France, have sought solutions that do not impact public finances. Others have opted for more direct intervention.
