Editorial Gasoline is a good fuel for politics

Editorial|Editorial

Basic Finns have taken the following as one of the slogans of the regional elections: “Vote for gasoline price raisers in the yard”. The call is endless, as these are the first regional elections, so no one can “vote in the yard” for any reason. There are also wholesale reasons behind fuel prices that are beyond the reach of Finnish politicians.

The empty fuel tank of an average car can no longer be filled in less than a hundred. The main reason for the rise in prices is the rise in the world market price of oil. Behind it are production restrictions in oil-producing countries and market fears that access to energy could suffer from political crises.

At the same time, of course, there are policies made by politicians that raise the price. Taxation is the most important of these. The price will also be increased by the increase in the distribution obligation. Transport fuel distributors have to sell a minimum share of renewable fuels, and the production of renewables is expensive. This proportion increases every year.

It is interesting in the demand of basic Finns that consumer prices have been a policy for a long time. In addition, politicians are currently facing the transformation of policies in the name of climate protection and consumer guidance from words into euros. Policies are finally biting the consumer – the voter.

When politics takes the price of transport fuels as a weapon, then it is no longer really a question of the price of petrol or diesel, but of regional policy, identity and different life situations and views. Household inflation varies according to the structure of consumption, and rising fuel prices appear to be driving up inflation more in rural areas where a car is essential.

Those who talk about “petrol inflation” are likely to assume that rising prices are worth pursuing policy also because in these higher-inflation households, support for climate policy may already be weaker. Of course, fuel prices for those living in large cities are circulating through the fall in other prices, but the direct impact is much smaller for many.

But whether the voter lives in a country or a city and whatever the attitude towards climate change, it is clear that the price of petrol is really a long way from what the regional election candidates will or will not do and their future power.

The editorials are HS’s statements on a topical issue. The writings are prepared by HS’s editorial staff and reflect the magazine principle.