The French, especially in Paris, are starting to feel the effects of the gas shortage. There are reports of cars queued for miles outside gas stations. Some have reported waiting for over an hour, only to find that there was no petrol left to fuel their vehicle.
Workers at TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil in France are on strike at the moment as well. This has led to three out of six refineries shutting down as production has been cut by 60% to 740,000 bpd. Over a third of TotalEnergies’ 3,500 stations are low on petrol. Workers are seeking a 10% salary increase as they feel the oil companies are reaping in profits amid this crisis.
President Emmanuel Macron has urged the people to avoid panicking. Some believe that this situation is only a glimpse of what will come in the winter when reserves plummet and demand soars. There is currently enough fuel for about 90 days.
The climate zealots of the Yellow Vest movement are prominent in France. The group protested for 60 consecutive weeks in 2018 and is extremely anti-Macron. They even stormed the Arc de Triomphe in central Paris. With Macron reelected and fuel woes rising, expect this movement to gain some momentum – with more support than the last go-around.
