Macron threatens to break union blockades on refineries in energy crisis

The French government on Tuesday threatened to forcibly break blockades of refineries and oil depots, which have been paralysed by striking workers, as motorists continued to besiege petrol stations in the hope of filling their tanks.

Around a third of France’s service stations were still low on, or out of, petrol as strike action at energy giant TotalEnergies and other oil majors entered its third week and wage negotiations were stalling.

Government ministers and President Emmanuel Macron have urged a negotiated resolution to the crisis, but on Tuesday government spokesman Olivier Veran threatened force to end the blockades which have paralysed several of France’s refineries and oil depots.

If strikers failed to reestablish access “immediately”, Veran told the RTL broadcaster, “we will step in, which means we could intervene to lift them”.