Fuel Crises Hits Paris

Less traffic on the Quai du Louvre than on the
same day in 1943.

And Short 'Report' of the 49th Club Meeting

FlashNews:- Paris, Thursday, 7. September 2000:- The deals announced yesterday to stem France's mounting fuel crises fell apart last night. Truckers and some farmers continued their blockade of 100 to 110 refineries throughout the country.

In Paris, taxi drivers took part in a huge 'escargot-race' from the Roissy and Orly airports to converge on the Champs de Mars. This event has been announced as the biggest demonstration by Paris taxi drivers since 1914. Taxis drivers also held similar demonstrations in other major French cities.

Elsewhere in France, some airports were running out of airplane fuel and flights began to be canceled. When possible, some planes were refueling in Geneva.

On the money markets, the European currency continued to fall against the dollar. Trading at about 87 US cents for one 'euro' - on the crude oil market this translated into a price of about US $40 per barrel.

Eighty percent of gas stations outside the Ile-de-France were reported to be empty. In many areas some gas stations were requisitioned so that supply to fire, ambulance and other emergency services could be maintained.

In a separate agreement, farmers won a reduction in the tax on fuel - but some joined the truckers on their road-blocks anyway.

Private drivers in border regions have increased sales of fuel at nearby gas stations in Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and Spain by 300 percent.

Driving schools are putting their teachers on technical unemployment and rural schoolbuses are failing to pick up students.

The Eurotunnel between France and England was blocked by angry farmers. Although prices for diesel fuel in Britain are about 30 percent higher than in France, British trucking operators are fed up with the chaos in France, which they calculate affects them about 'once every two years.'

The French government, the employers' association and even the powerful CGT union are increasingly dismayed with the situation.

Ordinary drivers would also like to see the taxes on gas fall. Some of them can remember the last time that crude prices were under $10 a barrel, and taxes rose anyhow so there was little decrease in the retail price.

Meetings between all key parties will continue tonight, but the outcome of them is uncertain. The government thinks it has already made all the concessions possible.

Meanwhile, the petrol giant TotalFinaElf, yesterday announced increased profits for the first six months of this year. The figure was an astounding plus of 165 percent - which was about three times better than a year earlier.

Victims of last winter's Erika shipwreck and oil spill saw the results as 'surreal.' TotalFinaElf is also in the midst of restructuring and expects to lay off 1500 of its employees in France.

Meanwhile, At the Club

Paris:- Thursday, 7. September 2000:- I put off thinking about what I might write about today's club meeting by working on some schemes to make enough money to continue buying métro tickets.

Luckily the server-lady Linda Thalman shows up before I reach any drastic conclusions aftr noticing that my café costs exactly 3.66 euros - which may not be much in dollars but is a tiny fortune in francs.