Christelle Morançais, the vice-president of the Horizons party and president of the Pays de la Loire regional council, has criticized the French government's fuel assistance policy as "empty checks" during an interview with RTL. She expressed her concerns about the government's approach to the ongoing energy crisis, which has led to sharply rising fuel prices and economic strain on many households. Despite the government's plan to announce new fuel assistance measures on Tuesday, September 22, Morançais has remained firmly against the current strategy. She argues that these checks give people a false sense of security, as the support is often later withdrawn or reduced in other areas. Morançais has consistently voiced her opposition to the check-based policy for several months. In June of the previous year, she described the government's strategy as "illusory" and called for a deeper reform to improve the purchasing power of French citizens. She believes that reducing taxes and other charges on pay slips would be more effective than temporary financial aid. This stance puts her at odds with Édouard Philippe, a former prime minister who had advocated for doubling targeted assistance to offset the rising fuel prices. While acknowledging the challenges faced by French people, Morançais insists that checks do not address the root causes of the problem. Fuel prices have reached record highs in recent weeks, with diesel hitting 2.41 euros per liter and SP95 at 2.23 euros per liter. These increases have placed additional pressure on households and businesses, especially in sectors reliant on transportation. The government is set to reveal new measures to support motorists at 5 p.m. on Tuesday from Bercy, the headquarters of the French Ministry of Finance. The announcement comes just nine days before the scheduled end of the current assistance for "heavy vehicle users," which was originally set to expire on September 30. Several ministers have already assured the public that the support for these users will not disappear on that date, though they have not yet provided details on how the assistance might evolve. Additionally, the government has extended fuel assistance to the most vulnerable economic sectors until December 31. While these extensions offer temporary relief, the debate over the long-term effectiveness of such measures continues, with critics like Morançais arguing for more comprehensive reforms to address the energy crisis and its economic impact.