Slovenia became the first European Union country to ration fuel during the current crisis. Starting March 24, private motorists can buy no more than 50 liters a day. Businesses and farmers get 200 liters.
Prime Minister Robert Golob went on national television to calm nerves. "Let me reassure you that there is enough fuel in Slovenia, the warehouses are full and there will be no fuel shortages," he said. But the army tells a different story. Golob authorized the Slovenian Armed Forces to help move diesel and gasoline from storage depots to filling stations after many pumps ran dry over the weekend.
Cheap fuel, long lines
Slovenia's regulated prices explain part of the rush. Gasoline costs about €1.47 a liter there, compared with roughly €1.80 across the border in Austria. That gap triggered a wave of so-called fuel tourism that overwhelmed stations near the frontier. The government ordered an inquiry into Petrol, the country's largest fuel distributor, over alleged distribution failures, and asked the Interior Ministry to investigate potential criminal violations.
The broader problem is supply. Since the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down after US and Israeli strikes on Iran began February 28, roughly one-fifth of global seaborne oil has been cut off. More than 3 million barrels a day of Middle East refining capacity has gone offline, with another million at risk.
Spain writes a €5 billion check
Madrid approved the largest emergency package in Europe so far. The Royal Decree-Law, in force until June 30, slashes VAT on all energy from 21% to 10%. That knocks about 30 cents off every liter of petrol and diesel. Hauliers, farmers and fishers get an extra 20-cent rebate on professional fuel. Electricity bills drop 13%.
Spain also released 11.5 million barrels from its strategic oil reserves. Diesel there has climbed 34% since the war started.
Germany warns of shortages by late April
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said supplies are safe for now but warned that diesel shortages could hit by the end of April or early May if the conflict drags on. Petrol already tops €2.16 a liter, up 18% in two weeks.
Berlin is releasing about 19.5 million barrels from its strategic oil reserves as part of the broader IEA-coordinated effort. It also introduced a new pricing rule: gas stations may raise prices only once a day, at noon. Cuts are allowed any time. The idea is to stop stations from hiking prices every few hours to exploit panic buying.
France fights hoarding
French supermarket chains reported a surge in fuel buying. Intermarche said sales jumped 50% in less than a week. Super U saw nearly double the usual traffic at its pumps. About 5% of service stations reported diesel shortages.
Trade minister Serge Papin ordered checks at fuel stations after complaints about price discrepancies between online listings and pump displays. Stations found violating rules face fines of up to €300,000. But the government has not cut fuel taxes, leaving TotalEnergies to voluntarily cap prices at its own stations through the end of March.
What comes next
Brent crude traded at $109.81 on Thursday, up 1.8%. WTI held at $95.38. With the Strait of Hormuz still largely closed and ceasefire talks stalled, European governments are bracing for worse.
Hungary has capped pump prices at €1.54 for gasoline and €1.59 for diesel, applying the limit only to Hungarian-registered vehicles. Portugal cut diesel taxes after prices jumped 17.5%. Austria limited price increases to three times a week.
No country has yet announced full-scale rationing beyond Slovenia. But if the war stretches into April without a deal, more may follow.