France may consider windfall tax on sectors buoyed by Iran crisis, finance minister says

France's finance minister Roland Lescure said on May 22, 2026 the government may consider imposing a windfall tax on companies that have profited from the recent surge in energy prices linked to the war in Iran. While he framed the measure as a possibility to be debated in the fall, the comment raises political risk for energy and oil firms and could pressure sector valuations and French equity sentiment, particularly for benchmarks like the France 40 that include major energy names. Markets may price in higher regulatory/tax uncertainty for energy producers, even if any concrete policy is months away.