The state is cashing in on the energy crisis, but this support will have its limits.
This is essentially the message of Bruno Le Maire, who spoke at the opening of the ministerial conference “
Strengthening European energy autonomy and making a success of the ecological transition
”.
Recalling the State's support for French households in the face of rising energy prices - the increase in regulated electricity prices, for example, has been capped at 4% in 2022 - the Minister of the Economy compared the current energy crisis to the oil shock of 1973.
Read alsoRise in fuel prices: how the French are adapting to the situation
State support has a cost: more than 20 billion euros in 2022, also warned Bruno Le Maire.
The freezing of gas prices weighs heavily.
This measure alone is estimated at 10 billion euros in 2022. "
No other European country has done as much as France to support households (...) which would have paid a bill 40% higher without this capping measure
”, argues the Minister of the Economy.
But this support cannot be unconditional according to him: a new massive aid plan “
would only fuel the increase in prices
”.
“
The State must be the first investor in the ecological transition.
It needs financial means to protect the most exposed companies.
We could tell our compatriots that we will offset all the increases, but that would be irresponsible
”.
Development of renewable energies
The issue of European energy independence has been raised acutely since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and as Western retaliatory measures have multiplied.
Joe Biden thus ordered an embargo on American imports of Russian oil and gas on Tuesday, but Europe is still reluctant to make such a decision, because of its dependence on fossil fuels supplied by Russia.
Read alsoEnergy: bill of around 22 billion euros to offset inflation, says Bruno Le Maire
The French government is therefore calling for a European reflection on the subject of energy independence, and is betting on the development of renewable energies.
Bruno Le Maire thus recalled that he said he was ready to make a departure from the principle of non-allocation of tax revenues, dear to Bercy, to allow the taxes collected on fossil fuels to be directed towards the development of renewable energies.