France has launched an unprecedented wave of inspections at petrol stations across the country in an effort to prevent unjustified fuel price hikes as global oil markets react to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the measure on Sunday, warning that businesses must not exploit the international crisis to increase prices unfairly at the pump.
In a message posted on the social media platform X, Lecornu stressed that the ongoing conflict should not be used as an excuse for excessive costs faced by motorists. “The war in the Middle East cannot be used as a pretext for excessive price increases at the pump,” the prime minister wrote.
The inspections will be carried out by France’s fraud prevention authority, the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, widely known as the DGCCRF.
According to Lecornu, the three-day operation will involve around 500 inspections between Monday and Wednesday, a number he described as equivalent to six months of the agency’s usual inspection schedule.
Authorities say the aim is to ensure that petrol retailers are not taking advantage of rising oil prices to inflate their margins. Fuel prices in France have already climbed sharply in recent days, sparking concerns among motorists and policymakers about the cost of living.
The government reported that SP95-E10, the country’s most commonly used petrol grade, rose by roughly 10 pence compared with the previous week even before the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
For drivers, the increase has quickly become noticeable. Filling a small car with a typical 50-litre tank now costs about £5 more than it did only a week ago.
Diesel prices have risen even faster. By Friday, the national average had reached €1.98 per litre, up from around €1.72 recorded on February 27. The jump represents an increase of 26 cents per litre, equivalent to roughly 15 percent in less than two weeks.
Such rapid increases have triggered criticism from opposition parties across the political spectrum, many of whom accuse fuel retailers of passing costs on to consumers too quickly.
Among the most vocal critics is Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing political movement La France Insoumise.
Writing on X, Mélenchon argued that inspections alone would not be enough to curb rising costs and suggested that a price freeze on petrol would be a more effective solution.
He pointed out that France has around 10,000 petrol stations nationwide, far more than the 500 sites targeted by the government’s inspection plan.
“Any increase in the current context is abusive,” Mélenchon wrote, criticizing the limited scope of the checks. Meanwhile, figures on the right of the political spectrum have focused on tax reductions as the primary way to ease pressure on motorists.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right party National Rally, has called for a significant cut in fuel taxes to offset rising costs. Her party has long advocated lowering value-added tax on petrol, heating oil and gas from the current 20 percent rate to 5.5 percent.
The proposal has been echoed by Jordan Bardella, the party’s president, who urged the government to reduce both VAT and the domestic petroleum tax known as TICPE if prices continue to climb.
Another prominent voice calling for intervention is Éric Coquerel, chairman of the National Assembly’s Finance Committee and also a member of France Unbowed.
Coquerel said the government should consider freezing fuel prices if the situation persists, while also adjusting excise duties to reduce the burden on households.
The government, however, has firmly rejected the idea of tax cuts or price freezes. Energy Minister Maud Bregeon warned that reducing VAT or the TICPE would create a major gap in the national budget.
According to Bregeon, such a move could cost the French state nearly €20 billion in lost revenue. Officials insist that the current priority is to ensure transparency and fairness in the fuel market rather than intervene directly in pricing.
As geopolitical tensions continue to influence global oil markets, the government faces increasing pressure to balance consumer protection with fiscal responsibility. For now, the nationwide inspection campaign represents Paris’s first concrete response to the latest surge in fuel prices.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members