Sebastien Lecornu will hold a press conference on Thursday devoted to the Middle East war, during which he will present a “new package” of assistance for June aimed at sectors most affected by the rise in fuel prices, Matignon announced on Sunday.
Announcements that are particularly anticipated. Sebastien Lecornu is set to address the press on Thursday, May 21, to discuss the situation in the Middle East and its impact on France. The Prime Minister will unveil the new fuel assistance program for June, which aims to “protect French workers and the most affected economic sectors from the effects of rising oil prices and related products,” according to a statement from his office to the press.
The presentation of this assistance has been delayed by the hantavirus crisis, which has infected a woman in France, while 26 contacts cases are in “reinforced quarantine.” Constrained by budget discipline and threatened by a recession, the government is hesitating on public assistance, which it still wants to be “targeted” and not general, ruling out any tax cuts. However, Sebastien Lecornu recognized that the crisis was persisting and that in this context, there needed to be a “change of scale.”
“The ‘come what may’ is over,” said Roland Lescure, the Minister of the Economy, this Sunday. “Our focus is on those who need assistance the most and we adjust according to the intensity of the crisis,” he explained.
Roland Lescure mentioned some new aids, such as the “flash fuel bonus” for the construction sector and aids for taxi drivers. The Ministry of Economy also launched an online simulator for a €50 fuel allowance for low-income high-mileage workers. The price of gasoline in France reached its highest point on Sunday since the start of the Middle East war, both for SP95-E10 and SP98, as negotiations between Iran and the United States have reached a standstill.
The details of the new aids for June are currently unknown. The government also soon plans to provide details on the €6 billion in savings announced in April to address the crisis.
