Geoffrey Branger 10:09am, March 26, 2023

Lines to fill up with gas are getting longer in some areas. About 15 percent of gas stations were out of at least one fuel on Friday. Are we heading for a new fuel shortage? Europe 1 takes stock.

The French are still suffering the repercussions of strikes against the pension reform. About 15 percent of gas stations were out of at least one fuel on Friday. Between the strikes of transporters and refineries, supplies are becoming increasingly scarce. Europe 1 takes stock of the situation.

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One in five petrol stations short of at least one fuel

According to the latest reports, about one in five petrol stations is short of at least one fuel. Some regions are particularly affected such as Normandy, Brittany, Occitanie, Centre-Val de Loire or the PACA region. In Île-de-France too, the situation is beginning to become tense. "We were delivered on Saturday but we already don't have SP 95 or 98, it's going very quickly... For now, we still have diesel, but it is likely that there will be no more in two or three days," said Jérôme, manager of a gas station in Paris.

Parisians are finding it increasingly difficult to fill up. "This is not normal. We always struggle to find gasoline", "we find ourselves queuing, turning to find stations that have our gasoline, it's tiring and worrying", "I hope there will be fairly quick requisitions in refineries, fuel is too essential", they testify to the microphone of Europe 1.

Strikes and blockades will still have important consequences

A context that does not bode well for the coming weeks, especially since strikes and blockades will still have important consequences. "When the government says everything is going to be fine, those who listen to us don't believe it. We can see the evolution in recent days: more and more stations no longer have gas. We don't want this [pension] reform! So if we want to continue to paralyze the country for months, we continue. But we will not give up," exclaims Benjamin Amar, spokesman for the CGT of Val-de-Marne.

As a reminder, last November, at the peak of the shortage, more than 30% of service stations were totally or partially out of fuel.