The shortage of fuel weighs on the French. The government bangs its fist on the table: Bruno Le Maire has expressed his annoyance. “The blockades of fuel depots must stop and end without delay,” said the economy minister. “There are school buses that don’t work. Employees who can’t get to work. Doctors who can’t get around. Caregivers at home who can’t get to people who await them.”
The minister called for negotiations “which lead quickly”. “Either the fuel depots are reopened quickly, or we will use the other means available to us, including requisitions.”
A dual objective for the government
The word to remember: “requisitions”. In other words, if the strike continues, the government leaves itself the possibility as of this Wednesday to requisition, that is to say to compel by force, the operators on strike to allow the supply of service stations. The government, however, had a delay in ignition. Last week, there was clearly “no strategy” on the part of the executive, as one adviser acknowledged. An executive who considered that the problem should be solved by Total alone.
According to information from Europe 1, several prefects had offered to requisition the refineries on strike but none had received a positive response.
From now on, the government is changing its tune. With two objectives: first, politically, to try to show the authority of the government to end the mess. Secondly, to allow the French who work, the firefighters, the police and the gendarmerie, to continue to carry out their essential and vital missions.
But requisitions are never simple
The last to have carried out requisitions was Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010. At the time, 5,000 stations were dry, refineries were blocked in protest against the pension reform. The employees are then requisitioned by bailiff. The situation is unblocked and the pension reform carried out by Eric Woerth is adopted.
For the government today, the subject is politically ultra-sensitive. Because if the striking employees are requisitioned and they go on sick leave, the government takes the risk of displaying its impotence. But if the government really wants to go all the way, it still has one last cartridge: the requisition of the armed forces on the decision of the Prime Minister, who must then sign an agreement with the military authority.
Finally, the refusal to submit to a requisition is an offense punishable by six months’ imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 euros.