PARIS, Mar 30 Several hundred taxi drivers from the Capital Region and neighboring departments gathered in front of the Ministry building economy and finance in Paris, protesting because of the rise in fuel prices, according to Agence France-Presse. Its participants demanded, in particular, the return of VAT on fuel at 5.5 percent (now 10 percent), the introduction of a floating tax on domestic energy consumption and help with the transition to electric vehicles. «I used to spend 20 euros on gasoline every day, now I spend 35 euros, which is 450 euros more per month,” said trade union representative Pascal Challita. Taxi drivers also took part in Nantes and Bordeaux. Fuel prices in France have been rising rapidly since the beginning of the year, and last week reached a historic high: rose to 2.1165 euros per liter, SP95 gasoline to 1.9670 euros, and Super SP95 to 2.0042 euros. After the start of a special military operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, the United States and its allies increased sanctions pressure on Russia. Calls to reduce dependence on Russian energy resources have become louder in Europe. However, all this has already turned into economic problems for Western countries, causing a rise in prices for gasoline and food. — rising fuel prices
