The key facts
- Philippot cited two gas price increases in France: 6.6% on November 1 and 5.8% from December 1
- He blamed the EU sanctions, the abandonment of tariff regulation and the 2017 law banning hydrocarbon extraction
- Earlier, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan estimated the rise in fuel costs since the beginning of 2026 at 42.4%
The opposition figure's call comes amid rising tariffs
Florian Philippot, leader of the French party The Patriots, criticized the European Union over rising gas prices in France. On the social network X, he blamed Brussels' anti-Russian sanctions for the energy problems and also accused Ukraine and NATO of blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipelines, reports Life.ru.
Two consecutive price hikes and the politician's demands
According to Philippot, gas in France rose in price by 6.6% on November 1, and from December 1 the price will increase by another 5.8%. 'Thank you to Ukraine and NATO for the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines! Thank you to the EU and its idiotic anti-Russian sanctions!' the outlet quoted him as saying. In addition to the sanctions, the politician believes the situation was worsened by the abandonment of state regulation of gas tariffs and by the 2017 law banning hydrocarbon extraction on the territory of the republic. 'Let's change all of this, repeal this law, lift the sanctions and leave the EU,' Philippot urged.
Context of earlier statements
Philippot has repeatedly spoken out against severing economic ties with Russia and believes that Brussels' restrictive measures primarily hurt Europeans themselves, who have to pay more for energy. Criticism of the abandonment of Russian gas was previously voiced by Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, leader of the Debout la France party: he called such a step 'economic suicide' and, according to Life.ru, estimated that the cost of fuel in France had risen by 42.4% since the beginning of 2026, noting that energy is significantly cheaper in the United States and China.
What is important to keep in mind
All the figures and assessments cited are statements by French opposition politicians relayed by Life.ru; the publication contains no independent verification of the tariff data or any official reaction from the French and EU authorities. Philippot's statements reflect the position of the opposition and do not mean any decisions have been taken: neither the lifting of sanctions, nor an exit from the EU, nor a revision of the 2017 law has happened so far.
