Louis de Raguenel, edited by Gauthier Delomez
modified to
6:58 p.m., October 12, 2022
Real requisitions should have been made, believes Louis de Raguenel, head of the political service of Europe 1. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne brandished on Tuesday what a majority of French people were hoping for: the requisition of operators of oil depots so that the French can live and work normally again, with the possibility of refueling. The objective of the government is to show its authority after being delayed in the ignition.
Many days during which the executive considered that the subject was the responsibility of TotalEnergies, and not his. Except that in the meantime, several million French people have been impacted.
Requisitions that concern only four people
When we look at the details of what Elisabeth Borne announced, the requisitions currently only concern one oil site in Normandy, out of six blocked sites in total. And the requisitions target four people according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition. So, Wednesday evening, for all of France, only four requisitions were pronounced. Almost nothing.
These four people will have to ensure the “minimum service” in the depot in question, that is to say allow the rescue and emergency services to be supplied. But in any case, it is not about an unblocking of the situation. At this stage, this measure has no effect for the French.
Requisitions have always ended badly
The problem is that the government brandished this weapon of requisition without going all the way. On the other hand, the unions were just waiting for this to call for mobilization against a measure they consider to be an obstacle to the right to strike. In the end, nobody is happy: the government whose requisitions will not produce results, and the unions, more reassembled than ever against the government. Finally, it is the French who toast.
It is also a false good idea because, as recalled by Henri Guaino, former special adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy invited Tuesday evening in punch line with Laurence Ferrari, the requisitions have always ended badly. For him, the measure is too brutal and prevents any social dialogue. And to conclude: normally, the Head of State’s social adviser should have dealt directly with the boss of TotalEnergies from the start of the crisis, before it was too late, to try to unblock the situation by avoiding strike, the blockages and the exasperation of the French.