French MP Questions Fairness of Franco-German Gas Deal as Frenchmen Receive Vouchers for Firewood

Europe is in the midst of an unprecedented and largely self-inflicted energy crisis after restricting the purchase of Russian oil, gas, coal and electricity to “punish” Moscow for its military operation in Ukraine. Restrictions have triggered a sharp increase in energy costs, and threaten the region with deindustrialization.

Gaullist politician and French National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy has questioned the fairness of the Franco-German gas deal, saying it is not sufficiently transparent, and costing Paris a great deal while guaranteeing nothing in return.

“This agreement testifies to the loss of France’s energy sovereignty,” Tanguy said in a recent appeal addressed to Agnes Pannier-Runacher, France’s Minister for Energy Transition.

The lawmaker pointed out that under the October agreement, France is required to supply Germany with between 31 and 100 GWh worth of gas per day, equivalent to as much as 10 percent of France’s daily imports via its four operating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals.

Demanding the government for transparency, Tanguy expressed concern that the agreement forces France to sell the gas it paid a premium for from the United States to a third country – Germany, for a price that hasn’t been publicized.

Paris has not provided any details “regarding the economic and financial terms of this agreement, in particular regarding the price of the gas [France sells] to Germany. And in return, France will buy electricity from its neighbor across the Rhine, electricity from fossil fuels, especially coal,” Tanguy said. This runs counter to France’s commitments on clean energy, the lawmaker pointed out.

The politician stressed that France’s energy system is facing a harsh winter, exacerbated by strike action, and urged authorities to 'prudently' manage "the gas reserves at its disposal” to meet demand.

He suggested that Berlin “has not officially committed itself to any obligations in the event of a lack of electricity supplies in France,” and that, “if this expected obligation is not fulfilled…France, having already supplied its gas to Germany, will be left without electricity.”

Accordingly, the current gas for electricity swap deal “marks a loss of France’s energy sovereignty,” threatening to turn the country into “a net importer of electricity for the first time in 40 years,” Tanguy lamented.

Tanguy stressed the government must make the provisions of the Franco-German contract public, “to make visible and transparent this unprecedented energy contract.”

Tanguy’s appeal, proceeded by weeks of fierce parliamentary debate about the terms and conditions of the agreement, comes amid the continuation of the energy crisis pummeling France and its European Union allies.

On Tuesday, French media reported that residents who heat their homes with firewood have begun receiving checks from the government of between €50 and €200 to help with costs. The amount of the check depends on income and marital status, with about 2.6 million households using firewood as a heating source eligible for the assistance.

In September, Paris announced a €45 billion spending plan to help shield households and businesses from dramatic energy price increases, with Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire assuring repeatedly throughout the year that a cap on electricity prices and other measures will assure that households aren’t driven into poverty by skyrocketing rates.

France has been partially shielded from the energy crisis pummeling most of its neighbors thanks to its nuclear power plants, which provide for nearly 70 percent of the country’s electricity needs. Despite joining its EU partners in slapping restrictions on Russian hydrocarbons, Paris has quietly continued to purchase enriched uranium from Russia and Kazakhstan to fuel its nuclear plants. According to French media, France bought some 153 tons of uranium enriched in Russia in 2022.