On Wednesday, a French association of motorists, 40 millions d’automobilistes, launched a petition demanding a €1.50 cap on gas prices at the pump.
The group argues that in the span of just one year, the price of SP95 has risen by 32 euro cents and diesel by 21 euro cents. While these increases appear minor, each motorist, on average, would have to cover an additional cost of over €200 per year as a result.
These record prices “have become a symbol of the high cost of living, and are now jeopardizing access to mobility for many of our fellow citizens, for whom a private car remains the only relevant means of transport for most everyday journeys,” the association continues.
The situation, it adds, “is no longer tenable” and the government “must act urgently to reform taxes on fuel, in order to achieve moderate prices and preserve the mobility and purchasing power of French households.”
Pierre Chasseray, the general delegate for 40 millions d’automobilistes, made the point more forcefully on France Bleu:
When you go to the pump, you’re no longer paying a price, you’re paying a ransom for the right to drive, which is unacceptable.
Speaking to Europe 1, Chasseray noted their message’s appeal among the French, given that the petition, after just a few days, is close to having a million signatories.
The online petition is a reminder of the humble beginnings of the Yellow Vests Protests. Those, too, started as a petition. Launched in May 2018, campaigners also decried rising fuel prices, and quickly attracted nearly 1 million signatures, with mass demonstrations—which came to voice wider grievances, such as stagnating wages, high living costs, and economic inequality—to follow in November.
Combined with inflation and ongoing government cuts to address the nation’s budget crisis, the foundations are building for a populist revolt.
Such an uprising, should it materialize, could conceivably target the upcoming Olympics, which start in Paris on July 26th.
That would be more than an inconvenience to French President Emmanuel Macron, who has already had homeless migrants bussed across rural France in order to present to the world a capital city worthy of admiration and respect.
Having images of irate French citizens roam Parisian streets during a globally broadcast event is, understandably, the last thing the embattled French leader needs.
