Faced with fuel prices at their highest and the rise in oil prices, Bruno Le Maire still excludes any new discount. On the other hand, the Minister of the Economy wishes to put TotalEnergies to work. Invited on Franceinfo this Thursday, the Bercy tenant asked the oil company to extend its fuel price cap to 1.99 euros per liter. Entered into force in February 2023, it must end on December 31, 2023.
“I would like Total, which has made a commitment to cap the prices of all fuels, diesel and gasoline, to extend this cap beyond December 31, 2023. It’s up to Patrick Pouyanné (the CEO of TotalEnergies, editor’s note) to make the decision, said Bruno Le Maire. I salute the choice made by Total several months ago, I trust it to take into consideration the difficulties of our compatriots. I wish he could maintain that cap.”
Asked about the question of a new government rebate, like the one that had been put in place last year, the Minister of the Economy again firmly rejected the idea, speaking of a “triple aberration “. From an “ecological aberration”, but also from a “budgetary aberration”, highlighting the cost of the rebate introduced in 2022 (12 billion euros). “And then it’s a diplomatic aberration” he added, explaining that France was “not intended to pay for the political and geopolitical choices of Saudi Arabia and Russia”, referring to the new reductions oil production in Riyadh and Moscow.
