The government rejects any new general discount on fuel prices

In these times of economic uncertainty and soaring oil prices, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, has asked TotalEnergies, the French energy giant, to extend its price cap commitment at the pump beyond December 31, 2023.

The minister made this request in a recent interview on franceinfo specifying : “I would like TotalEnergies, which has made a commitment to cap the prices of all fuels, diesel and gasoline, at 1.99 euros until the end of the year, to extend this cap (…) beyond 31 December 2023.”

No general reductions to the program

TotalEnergies is the last major French oil company in operation, and Bruno Le Maire insists that this capping commitment must be an asset for French motorists. He expressed his confidence in the CEO of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, so that he “take into consideration the difficulties of our compatriots” in this period of rising fuel prices.

The government has chosen not to follow the path of further widespread reductions in fuel prices. This decision follows a similar measure put in place in 2022. Minister Le Maire clearly explained his position on this issue by qualifying a new government rebate as “triple aberration: ecological, budgetary and diplomatic. »

Fuel prices under pressure

The international context plays a significant role in this decision. Bruno Le Maire pointed out that oil production cuts from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia have an impact on prices by restricting global supply. A further general reduction in fuel prices would, according to the Minister, be the equivalent of “pay for the oil diplomacy of Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia. »

In the political debate, the president of the Hauts-de-France region, Xavier Bertrand, called for a reduction of 15 to 20 centimes per liter of gasoline for all, while accusing the government of exaggerating the cost of such a measure. In response, Bruno Le Maire refused to embark on “apothecary accounts” and pointed out that this discount would cost 12 billion euros for one year.

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