The Minister of Environment, Maria da Graça Carvalho, stated at a press conference that the difference in fuel prices between Portugal and Spain is identical to that between Spain and France, also classifying Spain as an "exception" in Europe. The statement came after the Secretary-General of the PS, José Luís Carneiro, accused the Government of profiting from the rise in fuel prices.
The article uses data from the European Commission weekly bulletin of August 31 to verify these claims. Regarding gasoline, Portugal charges 2.013 euros per liter, Spain 1.732 euros, and France 2.073 euros. This means Portuguese consumers pay 28 cents more than Spaniards, while the French pay 34 cents more than Spaniards. For diesel, Portugal charges 2.029 euros, Spain 1.865 euros, and France 2.208 euros, resulting in differences of 16.3 cents more in Portugal and 34.3 cents more in France.
Regarding the claim that Spain is an exception, the European Commission bulletin indicates that there are eight European countries with lower gasoline prices than Spain, including Malta, Sweden, Poland, and Bulgaria, and seven countries with cheaper diesel, including the same countries and also Luxembourg.
The conclusion of the article is that Maria da Graça Carvalho's statements are incorrect. The difference in prices between Portugal and Spain is actually lower than the difference between Spain and France, and Spain is not an exception in Europe in terms of low prices. The article also notes that the level of taxation in France makes fuels even more expensive relative to Spain than in Portugal, and that the minister's statements "fall short."
