As pump prices surge, candidates in France's 2027 presidential race are stepping up their announcements on fuel taxation. Ségolène Royal has set a precise threshold, while the National Rally (RN), the French Communist Party (PCF) and France Unbowed (LFI) are putting forward competing measures, whose cost to public finances is already being debated. A poll by Elabe for BFMTV puts the average threshold beyond which the French consider fuel prices too high at €1.84.
Ségolène Royal: a cap of €1.70 a litre
Speaking on RTL on Friday, 11 September, the candidate in the Socialist Party and Place Publique primary for the 2027 presidential election stated that "a litre of petrol must not exceed €1.70." To achieve this, the former minister is calling for lower taxes and a reduced VAT rate on fuel. She faces six other candidates in this primary, including Raphaël Glucksmann, Olivier Faure, Philippe Brun and Jérôme Guedj, with the two rounds scheduled for 9-10 and 16-17 October.
The National Rally wants a 5.5% VAT rate
Jordan Bardella, president of the RN, denounced a situation in which "getting around, having a home, heating it are becoming luxury goods." His party proposes cutting VAT on fuel from 20% to 5.5% and reversing the tax increases introduced under the previous mandate.
Fabien Roussel and the PCF call for mobilisation
Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the PCF and a presidential candidate, called on the French to "mobilise at roundabouts" if the government fails to act quickly on energy prices. He is demanding the immediate scrapping of the energy savings certificate (CEE) levy, which rose from 11 to 16-17 centimes per litre on 1 January 2026, as well as a cut in VAT from 20% to 5.5%. On the same front, Paris communist senator Ian Brossat accused the government of "leaving the French to suffer with their mouths wide open" and argues that lower taxes are essential to protect purchasing power.
France Unbowed calls for a price freeze
For its part, France Unbowed is backing a freeze on pump prices, through a bill tabled by Aurélie Trouvé. The government is ruling out this option for now, with the finance ministry (Bercy) arguing that a price cap would amount to "organising shortages."
The Strait of Hormuz, at the root of the price surge
This political dispute is unfolding against a tense geopolitical backdrop. Since 28 February 2026, a joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran has triggered a regional war in the Middle East. In retaliation, Tehran blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for roughly 20% of the world's oil exports. In early September, renewed strikes between the two countries worsened the situation further: analyst Jorge Leon of Rystad Energy points to flows falling to around 1.5 to 2 million barrels a day, down from 8 million at the end of August, while the US Department of Energy puts the figure closer to 11 million barrels a day — estimates that analysts dispute. The direct consequence: Brent crude has settled durably above $100 a barrel, a level not seen since the conflict began.
How much would these measures cost the state?
Available estimates show the budgetary scale of these proposals. According to the finance ministry, cutting VAT from 20% to 5.5% would cost €17 billion a year across all forms of energy (fuel, electricity, gas, heating oil), of which around €10 billion for fuel alone. The National Rally puts forward its own estimate of €12 billion, while the Institut Montaigne assesses the measure at €10.3 billion a year, within a range of €8.2 to €12.4 billion depending on how consumption evolves.
As for the price freeze proposed by LFI, the Fondation IFRAP estimates that, if distributors are compensated to avoid shortages, it would cost between €5.4 and €9 billion over three months — comparable to the 2022 fuel rebate scheme, which cost €8 billion over six months.
Prices remain under pressure
As of 13 September 2026, national average prices stood at €2.314/L for diesel and €2.124/L for E10 petrol, up nearly 4% over seven days. TotalEnergies, for its part, is maintaining a cap of €1.99/L for petrol and €2.25/L for diesel, announced in late August by Patrick Pouyanné and kept in place for as long as the Middle East conflict continues.