Petrol prices in France are nearing 3 euros a litre as the price of Brent crude oil climbed past $100 a barrel, squeezing household budgets and deepening concern among French drivers, broadcaster TF1 reported Monday.
How far prices at the pump will rise has become one of the most pressing questions for French households, according to TF1's coverage of the issue.
The increase comes as the war in the Middle East pushes up global fuel and gas prices, TF1 said.
A survey by the pollster Elabe, published on September 10, found that 67% of French people believe their purchasing power has fallen in recent months, 11 points higher than in a similar poll in January. Within that group, 35% said their purchasing power had fallen a lot, a rise of 13 points on the earlier survey.
TF1 Devotes Special Segment to Fuel Prices
On Monday evening, TF1 devoted a special segment of its 8pm news bulletin, the JT de 20H, to the surge in fuel prices. The broadcast, presented by longtime anchor Gilles Bouleau, examined whether the French government is doing enough to respond to the increase and whether oil companies are profiting from the situation, according to TF1.
Background on Oil Prices and Polling
Brent crude is the benchmark price used for roughly two thirds of the world's internationally traded crude oil, and its movements feed directly into pump prices across France and other European countries. TF1 is France's largest private television network, and its evening news bulletin is among the most-watched news programs in the country. Elabe is a French polling institute that regularly tracks public sentiment on the economy and the cost of living.
How Households Are Coping
TF1 said the segment aimed to explain how fuel prices had reached their current level and to show some of the steps French motorists are taking to cope with the continued rise in the price of petrol.
