From Athens, Emmanuel Macron stated on Saturday that no fuel shortage is envisaged in France due to the Middle East war. He warned against panic behaviors that could create such shortages. The president reaffirmed that the situation remains under control.
Emmanuel Macron sought to reassure during a press conference in Athens. Questioned on shortage risks raised by Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies CEO, who estimated that a prolonged Strait of Hormuz blockade for two or three months would plunge France into an energy shortage era, the president dismissed this scenario.
“We are not in the worst-case scenario you described, which is not the most probable today,” he stated. He added: “I would refrain from political fiction, because (...) I know how psychology can behave.”
Macron stressed that “the worst thing, in these moments of tension and geopolitical uncertainty, is for these tensions to be exacerbated by panic behaviors.” According to him, “the shortage is created by these panic behaviors themselves.”
Despite the impact on prices, “the situation is controlled” and “today, the situation does not make us envisage any shortage,” the head of state concluded. He called for a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, in line with international law and without tolls.
