Fuel Price Protests in Europe 2026: Truckers, Farmers and Fishers vs Diesel Costs

Where have fuel prices caused protests in Europe in 2026?

The US-Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent oil and gas prices sharply higher ^[1]. Diesel has been hit hardest. By 26 October the EU average diesel price was €2.146 a litre, 40.4% above the same week of 2025 ^[2].

Protest has come in two waves. In late March and April, hauliers, farmers and agricultural contractors staged go-slows and blockades in France, the Netherlands, Ireland and the UK ^[3,5,6,8]. A second wave began in September with fishers in France and Greece ^[9,10]. October brought blockades by truckers and farmers in southern Italy and mass cost-of-living marches in France ^[15,17]. The groups involved are mostly those that burn diesel for a living. Their demands centre on fuel tax cuts, price caps and direct aid.

What happened in France: hauliers, fishers and mass marches?

French hauliers moved first. On 30 March about 200 lorries staged a rolling roadblock on the Paris ring road, after blockades near Lyon and in Clermont-Ferrand ^[3]. Their associations said a €50 million government aid package was not enough ^[3]. The Organisation des transporteurs routiers européens (OTRE) suspended the go-slows on 1 April, citing "significant" if imperfect progress in talks ^[4].

Fishers followed in September. In mid-September they blocked harbours from Sète to Nice and targeted an oil depot, disrupting Corsica ferry sailings ^[9]. Talks on 17 September lasted more than six hours ^[9]. The fisheries minister then said they had agreed to lift the blockades, and offered zero-interest loans ^[9].

The largest events came in October. Marches on 17 October grew out of student protests over school conditions and widened to living costs and fuel prices ^[13]. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez put turnout at 550,000 across 110 demonstrations; organisers, including student groups and the CGT union, said 800,000 ^[13]. Around 1,800 people were arrested, and the town hall in Limoges was set on fire ^[13]. On 24 October the ministry counted 410,000 marchers, including 110,000 in Paris; the organising union claimed 800,000, with 250,000 in Paris ^[17]. President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the protesters' "legitimate demands" while condemning looting ^[14].

Why did truckers and farmers blockade southern Italy?

Italy's diesel excise cut, worth 6.1 cents a litre by the end, expired on 5 October without a replacement ^[12]. Protests started in Puglia and Calabria, where the first spontaneous actions began in early October, and spread to Sicily, Campania and Basilicata ^[20]. Near Cerignola, lorries and farm vehicles blocked roads including the A14 and A16 motorways ^[20]. On 18 October, Fegica, the fuel retailers' union, estimated that 60% to 70% of southern service stations had run dry ^[20].

By 22 October supermarket shelves were emptying in southern Italy, and the Crotone and Reggio Calabria airports reported no aviation fuel ^[15]. Government figures showed police had identified 1,339 people, reported 71 to the authorities and issued 242 administrative fines ^[15]. Business Minister Adolfo Urso said €434.8 million had been allocated to compensate hauliers for higher diesel costs ^[15]. The cabinet then approved a €175 million decree, with €105 million for hauliers and €70 million for farming and fishing ^[16]. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the government respected peaceful protest but would not tolerate intimidation ^[16].

How did Ireland's April fuel blockades unfold?

Ireland saw the most disruptive action of the spring. In late March the government announced a €250 million package including fuel excise cuts ^[6]. Many farmers, hauliers and agricultural contractors said it fell short ^[6]. Organised largely through Facebook and WhatsApp groups, convoys and blockades brought much of the country to a standstill within three days ^[6]. Protesters also blockaded the Whitegate refinery in County Cork ^[6].

On 12 April the government agreed a package of around €505 million ^[7]. It added a further 10 cent excise cut on petrol and diesel to the end of July ^[7]. It also brought direct payments to hauliers, farmers and fishers, and delayed carbon tax increases ^[7]. Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned that those continuing blockades would face the full rigour of the law ^[7]. Sinn Féin said it would table a motion of no confidence in the government ^[7].

What about Greece, the Netherlands, the UK and elsewhere?

• Greece. Fishers began a national strike on 1 October ^[10]. On 5 October they blocked a wholesale fish market near Thessaloniki and stopped trucks carrying imported fish ^[10]. The agriculture ministry then doubled its diesel subsidy for April and May from 16 to 32 cents a litre ^[11].
• Netherlands. Truck drivers held a go-slow on the A4 and A15 on 2 April, calling for lower excise duties ^[5]. Infrastructure Minister Vincent Karremans said blocking motorways would not make him act ^[5].
• United Kingdom. Online calls for blockades on 15–17 April produced only patchy action, trans.info reported ^[8]. It found a go-slow on the A90 in north-east Scotland and a small gathering in Parliament Square ^[8]. UK diesel averaged 199.52 pence a litre in early October ^[12].
• Belgium. The regulated maximum diesel price hit a record €2.501 a litre on 22 September ^[12]. France 24 reports that Belgium has also seen demonstrations ^[14].
• Germany, Spain and Poland. We found no large fuel-price blockades in these countries on the pages we reviewed. France 24, citing Reuters, reports that energy bills are a growing political issue in Germany and Poland ^[14].

How have governments responded with tax cuts and aid?

Governments have mixed general tax cuts with targeted aid. Germany cut fuel tax by 17 cents a litre from 1 October to the end of the year ^[12]. Spain's cut is 20 cents in October, 13 cents in November and 6 cents in December ^[12]. Its package has cost about €5 billion since March ^[12]. France has chosen targeted payments, including €100 for 5.5 million commuters, at a cost of €450 million ^[12]. Italy and Ireland responded with sector aid after blockades ^[7,16].

Pump prices do not map neatly onto protest. Diesel was dearest in Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands on 26 October ^[2]. Italy, Ireland and Greece, where protest was intense, sat near the EU average ^[2].

The think tank Bruegel tracks the cost of these measures. By 16 June governments had committed more than €11.8 billion, with Spain accounting for almost half ^[1]. More than 54% went on untargeted measures such as excise or VAT cuts ^[1]. Bruegel says 86% of the spending increases the incentive to consume fossil fuels ^[1].

The tracker stopped in June, so it omits the autumn packages ^[1]. Those include France's €450 million and Italy's €175 million decree ^[12,16].

How does 2026 compare with 2022 and the 2018 gilets jaunes?

The pattern echoes 2022, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine pushed up diesel prices. Then, Spanish small hauliers began an indefinite strike on 14 March 2022 ^[19]. Picketing disrupted supply chains, and around 24,000 officers patrolled highways ^[19]. Taxi drivers, farmers and fishers joined in some areas ^[19].

France's 2018 yellow vest (gilets jaunes) movement began over planned fuel tax rises ^[18]. On its first day, 17 November 2018, the interior ministry estimated about 244,000 protesters ^[18]. The ministry's 2026 counts were higher: 550,000 on 17 October and 410,000 on 24 October ^[13,17]. The causes also differ. In 2018 the trigger was a domestic tax decision ^[18]. In 2026 the French government blames the war with Iran, while protesters list wider grievances, from living costs to public services ^[9,13].

What to watch

• France. The Connexion reports new protests planned for 31 October ^[13]. Organiser and ministry counts have so far differed widely ^[17].
• Italy. Hauliers' talks with the transport ministry were set for 27 October, and the strikes authority has asked for steps to restore deliveries ^[15,16].
• Tax cuts ending. Spain's discount shrinks in November and December, and Germany's ends with the year ^[12].
• Diesel prices. Pump prices remain far above 2025 levels, which keeps pressure on fuel-intensive trades ^[2].

Alupetra tracks diesel, gasoil and crude prices every trading day; our daily market notes follow how pump prices and policy responses develop across Europe.