For more than a week, Western sanctions against Russia have been raining down: exclusion of banks from the Swift system, ban on flights over certain territories, suspension of Russian media in Europe... Now, Bruno Le Maire fears the counter- sanctions from Russia, which could touch a sensitive chord: gas and oil supplies to Europe.
“
My responsibility is to prepare all the scenarios
”, thus indicated the Minister of the Economy this Monday on BFMTV.
"
I'm preparing the scenario of a total shutdown, of rising prices... There are uncertainties linked to the counter-sanctions that will be decided and that we don't know about.
Wisdom, therefore, is to prepare scenarios
”.
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The European Union is in a delicate position since it is 40% dependent on Russian gas supplies.
If France is less concerned, with less than 20% of its gas coming from Russia, energy promises to be a critical issue in the months to come.
The director general of Engie Catherine MacGregor has thus warned that France could encounter difficulties in stocking up on gas this summer in anticipation of the winter of 2022-2023.
While the government had promised to cap the rise in gas prices, already significant before the invasion of Ukraine, at 4% in 2022, the bill for this measure is therefore likely to increase further.
“
The initial cost of the gas price freeze was 1.2 billion euros, but it will ultimately be more like 10 billion euros if we take the decision to extend this measure until the end of 2022.
“, detailed Bruno Le Maire.
“All options on the table”
European countries are also currently discussing with the United States the advisability of banning imports of Russian oil, in order to deal an additional blow to this economy already excluded from banking and commercial exchanges.
There is no consensus on this option at this stage: Germany opposes such an embargo on oil, gas and coal.
A ban "
would threaten social peace
" in Germany, the Ecologist Minister of the Economy Robert Habeck warned on Friday.
“
All the options are on the table
”, nevertheless wanted to insist Bruno Le Maire.
In France too, energy prices weigh on household budgets: in some service stations, the liter of gasoline now exceeds the symbolic bar of 2 euros per liter.
Faced with these painful developments for purchasing power, Bruno Le Maire assured that the State would remain present: “
I see all the concerns.
A response will be provided to all French people most affected by the crisis
.
The Minister of the Economy, however, did not specify what form this aid could take, and whether it would again be a “
check
”, like the one which had been paid to precarious households in December 2021.
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In the long term, Bruno Le Maire considers it necessary to strengthen the “
energy independence of France
”, with in particular the possibility of deindexing the prices of electricity from those of gas, as is currently the case.
