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Deutsche Welle

French fishermen are up in arms because the price of diesel has doubled in just one year. They don't see how their businesses can stay afloat and are demanding state subsidies. To put pressure on the government, they are blocking incoming oil tankers and outgoing ships on the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and English Channel coasts. The protests are increasingly paralyzing the French economy. In January, the government already passed a 310-million euro aid plan. The European Commission is studying whether the subsidies violate competition law.