Faced with rising energy prices, "we will all have to make an effort", insisted the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire this Monday, on RMC / BFMTV.
The French "will all have to realize that we are entering a new world, all of us will have to realize that we will have to accelerate our independence from fossil fuels", declared the tenant of Bercy, who fears the counter-sanctions of the Kremlin, in response to the Western sanctions that have been raining down on Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.
"My responsibility is to prepare all the scenarios," he said, citing "the scenario of the total shutdown, rising prices..." "There are uncertainties related to the counter-sanctions that will be decided and that we don't know.
Wisdom, therefore, is to prepare scenarios.
“But, notes the Minister, “if there is only one positive thing to draw from this crisis (…), it is to build our total independence in terms of energy and to be much less dependent on fossil fuels.
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To cope with this price increase, the French government has planned to spend around 22 billion euros in measures to support purchasing power, assured the minister.
The gas price freeze should cost “probably 10 billion euros over the whole of 2022”, against 1.2 billion euros budgeted so far.
“The cap on electricity prices” cost “8 billion euros and the inflation compensation 4 billion euros”, detailed Bruno Le Maire.
And the Minister concludes: “The total bill amounts to more than 20 billion euros on the sole protection of our compatriots against soaring energy prices.
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“Targeted Responses”
The government is ready to take “more” measures to support household purchasing power, but if necessary, these will be “targeted” responses, assured Bruno Le Maire.
"It will not be a no matter
what
," hammered the Minister of the Economy.
"We do not respond to a major geopolitical turning point only by paying a check here or there", he developed in reference to the Russian offensive in Ukraine launched at the end of February, which accentuated the rise in energy prices. .
“We will provide a response to all the French people most affected by the crisis, (…) responses targeted at those who need it the most”, added Bruno Le Maire.
On Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron asked Prime Minister Jean Castex to draw up "an economic and social resilience plan" to respond to the difficulties arising from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, in particular the rise in the prices of energy and raw materials. .
As far as French companies are concerned, Bruno Le Maire spoke out on Friday for "targeted and massive support for the sectors that need it".
