Whether we are on vacation or already at work, our purchasing power is the subject of concern at the moment. While France succeeded in limit its inflation to more than 6%our closest neighbors are suffering from the increase in prices, such as Italy, Spain and Belgium.
And our northern neighbors are constantly crossing the border to do their shopping, especially at the Roncq border post. In the parking lot of this hypermarket, there are red license plates everywhere. Belgian cars parade. Michael “comes from Oudenaarde, 40 kilometers from herebecause the races are much cheaper.
Coke, wine, cheese, chocolate, a bit of everything. Here, I shopped for €200 and if I do the same thing in Belgium, I got it for €400″, he explains.
Concern around gasoline
Belgians have always come to buy water in France since it was much cheaper. But now, all products such as ham, rice, paper towels are concerned. Hadi comes from Tournai and explains that “before, it was the French who came to Belgium. Now it’s the Belgians who come to France.”
And in Mouscron, on the Belgian side, at the petrol station, diesel is now at €1.899. It’s the same as in France. But the prospect of French diesel at €1.50 in September is of great concern: “We can see that there are going to be some big differences. That’s the problem. We are barely 200 meters away and it is, there will be 30 or 40 cents difference”, explains the owner of a service station.
It would be a turnaround total since it had been the opposite for many years.
