French crossing the border with jerry cans
In cities like Madrid and Barcelona, today Diesel starts at 1.94 euros per liter, with gasoline close to 1.60. These are absolutely sky-high prices if we compare them with those of the last few months before the start of the conflict between the United States and Iran. But for the French it is a candy they are not willing to reject. The French case. France is one of the countries with the most aggressive taxation of its fuels. Something that has caused prices to skyrocket above 2.30 euros. This same week, 12% of French stations have run out of fuel. Reason? TotalEnergies capped the maximum price at 1.99 euros per liter for gasoline and 2.09 euros in the case of diesel. Within a few hours they were practically out of supplies. Solution? Spanish. Those transport professionals and regular drivers close to the border are reactivating a practice they resort to when fuel costs skyrocket: refueling in Spain. In some cases the price difference reaches close to one euro per liter, which has caused a very high influx at low-cost Easygas stations in Guipúzcoa, according to Diario Vasco. Filling drums. A deposit may not make a difference. But a few, yes. On their gas station pilgrimage, the French are filling drums and jugs with fuel, according to the newspaper. The regulations allow up to 60 liters of gasoline per container to be transported, up to a total of 240 liters. Europe is not so happy. Although prices continue to be high, Spain is an anomalous case compared to Europe. Brussels is warning the Government that the VAT on fuel cannot be reduced from 21% to 10% as the executive stated, and threatens sanctions if the tax is not modified. Sources from the Ministry of Finance have defended that The measure is “temporary and not structural” and that its “priority” is “supporting families, self-employed workers and companies to mitigate the effects of a war that should never have started.” On March 26, Congress approved a package of measures that includes tax cuts to contain fuel, gas and electricity bills during the conflict. France sleeps peacefully. Spain, Croatia, Hungary and Germany are European examples of attempts at fuel containment. Either through reductions in the tax burden, or through limits on price increases by gas stations, such as the Alemán case. Meanwhile, in France, the Government has not intervened in the price in any way, which has catapulted the final ticket to one of the highest positions in the European ranking. In Xataka | Finding the cheapest gas station in your area is very simple thanks to this very powerful tool