PM gives reassurances on fuel ahead of half term holidays in France

France’s prime minister has said that people will be able to head off on Toussaint breaks “with confidence”, as fuel supplies gradually rise back to usual levels following the end of the strike in several refineries.

Élisabeth Borne told Libération that there will be a “return to normal over the coming days,” adding that “the situation had clearly improved since the beginning of the week”.

Two TotalEnergies refineries – Feyzin and Gonfreville – are still at a standstill today (October 21), but workers at three others have decided to end their strike action.

Read more: Fuel supplies improve in France, strike lifts in three refineries

Gonfreville usually produces 12% of the total French refinery output. There, the strike has been renewed until October 27, “unless the management contacts us beforehand”, the CGT union has said.

“I am not going to say that the situation will be 100% resolved for the beginning of the holidays, but people in France can go away with confidence,” as at least 90% of motorway service stations will be operating as normal from this evening.

By the end of yesterday, 16.9% of petrol stations across the country were experiencing shortages of at least one type of fuel, compared to 20.3% on Wednesday, 24.8% on Tuesday and 30% on Sunday.

The worst affected regions remain Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Ile-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, where between 25% and 29% of stations still have stock shortages.

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