A few days ago, the government still refused to speak of “shortage” to qualify the fuel crisis that the country is going through. This Wednesday, after several days under tension, marked by the renewal of strikes in refineries, the executive seems to have changed strategy.

It must be said that the situation is more than tense on French territory: several fuel depots are currently blocked (in total, 6 out of 8 refineries are shut down), and petrol stations in France are struggling to get supplies. … At the pump, motorists are struggling to fill their tanks.

The strike in refineries and depots at TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil has been going on for 12 days. And seems set to continue: the employees of Port-Jérôme have just voted to continue until at least 10 p.m. tonight.

Supported by the CGT, they demand the revaluation of their salary condition, in the face of inflation.

The government ensures that negotiations are underway with the strikers.

On Tuesday, Elisabeth Borne announced measures to requisition personnel to unblock the refineries.

“I asked the prefects to initiate, as permitted by law, the procedure for requisitioning the personnel essential to the operation of the depots of this company” in Gravenchon (Seine-Maritime) and Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du- Rhône), declared the Prime Minister in front of the National Assembly yesterday.

The Ministry of Ecological Transition quickly tempered, in the face of popular protest: the requisition orders are “ready”, but not yet taken.

On Wednesday, a consultation meeting was organized between the Total group and the unions. It was also time for the ritual Council of Ministers for the government, where the issue of the shortage of gasoline was widely discussed. Olivier Véran then spoke to journalists, touting the imminent end of the crisis. Discover in 5 points what to remember from its ads.