How far will the bill soar?
While the French are worried about their wallets and the question of purchasing power is coming back to the fore more than ever, the price of a full tank of gas continues to rise.
What weigh heavily on the budget of millions of our fellow citizens forced to take their vehicle to get to their place of work.
To discover
SIMULATOR - Are you paid well?
Read alsoThe issue of purchasing power at the heart of the presidential election
According to the latest data published today by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the liter of diesel reached, on average over the last week, 1.654 euros.
That is 50 cents more than at the lowest point, in May 2020, and 18 cents more compared to the pre-health crisis period, at the end of 2019.
In addition to diesel, other fuels are also reaching historic highs.
The liter of SP95 costs 1.72 euros, and that of SP98, 1.79 euros.
Never seen.
By way of comparison, when the " yellow vests
" crisis broke out
in October 2018, a liter of SP98 and that of SP95 cost 15 cents less, and a liter of diesel was "
only
" at 1.53 euros .
.
That is twelve cents cheaper than today.
In Paris, many stations display a liter of SP98 at more than two euros, according to real-time data from the ministry, and diesel sometimes approaches this symbolic bar.
The main culprit of this increase is not an increase in taxes: it is the strong demand for raw materials generated by the economic recovery.
The price of a barrel of Brent has thus risen sharply since its low point in April 2020, climbing to 83.5 dollars last October.
It has since fallen slightly, reaching $74.17 at the end of 2021. The previous peak was reached in October 2018, at $81.03 per barrel.
A strategic challenge for 2022
The question of purchasing power is becoming more and more central in the presidential campaign, with many French people worrying about the consequences of inflation, particularly on energy products, for their wallets. On the left, several candidates, including Jean-Luc Mélenchon, call for "
blocking
" fuel prices as soon as possible. On the right, Valérie Pécresse assured last Tuesday that the state did
not have “the money
” to lower taxes. “
We must not make false promises
”, she launched on BFMTV, pleading rather for a tax exemption of “
gasoline costs within the framework [of] work
”.
The government is carefully scrutinizing this explosive subject, which had already led to virulent demonstrations three years ago.
Questioned this Monday morning on FranceInfo, the Minister of the Economy closed the door to any reduction in taxes weighing on fuels - they nevertheless weigh more than half of the final bill -, while admitting that alternative avenues could be considered. .
Bruno Le Maire has put forward the possibility of putting in place “
specific measures for those who have to take their vehicle to go to work
”, without going further on the question.