The government will authorize distributors to sell gasoline "at a loss" for a few months in order to allow them to "lower prices further", announced the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, in an interview posted online on Saturday September 16 on the site of the Parisian.

“With this unprecedented measure, we will have tangible results for the French, without subsidizing fuel,” she promises, after recalling that selling at a loss has been prohibited by law since 1963.

The head of government did not accept the opposition's proposals, which are calling for either a rebate like a year ago, or a reduction in gasoline taxation to deal with the surge in fuel prices, which have reached 2 euros per liter.

“Get big industrialists to contribute”

“Everyone takes their part”, underlines Elisabeth Borne, ensuring that “it is normal to involve large industrialists”, while recalling that “the responsibility of the State is also to reduce its deficit and its debt ".

Asked about the comments of the national secretary of the Communist Party, Fabien Roussel, who this week called on the French "to invade service stations and supermarkets", Ms. Borne said she was "surprised" by these statements which are not "in his habits ".

“I called him to tell him that it was a very bad message and that political leaders had to be very careful with their words in a context where there can be anger among some of our fellow citizens,” explains -She.

On the subject of purchasing power, the head of government rejects the proposal of the National Rally, which pleads for the abolition of VAT on food products, calling on the far-right party to read "the studies which have proven that moving from 5.5% to 0% is often not reflected in prices.”