Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the presidential candidate from the "France Unbowed" party, emphasized in an interview that capping fuel prices in the country will not lead to a shortage. He made these remarks on the sidelines of the "Politico Playbook Paris Live" event, stating: "Do you really think that companies like Total and others will say: I will turn my back on the domestic market that France represents?"
Capping Prices and Its Effects
Capping energy prices is part of the longstanding and core program of the "France Unbowed" party. Mélenchon, pointing to the rise in fuel prices since the onset of the war in the Middle East, proposes that fuel prices in France be limited to €1.70 per liter. While this proposal has faced criticism and some believe it could lead to a fuel shortage in the country, Mélenchon considers this view to be incorrect. He stated that France imports nearly half of its diesel consumption, and in his opinion, oil companies will be forced to lower their product prices.
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Criticism of the Government and Oil Companies
Mélenchon continued to criticize the French government regarding Total Energy, stating: "What good is it that Total Energy is a French company if we cannot demand anything from it?" He also criticized the government's policies on taxes on oil superprofits, saying that instead of supporting consumers, the government has settled for the pleasure of having a large oil company in the country. He described this situation as a kind of "charity" where oil companies are asked to provide financial contributions.
Mélenchon emphasized that pressure must be put on oil companies to achieve more reasonable prices by reducing their profit margins and to avoid inappropriate behavior towards small distributors. He concluded by saying: "This is not the right time to create problems for small distributors, and we must treat everyone fairly."
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