Seyma Erkul Dayanc
27 March 2026•Update: 27 March 2026
ISTANBUL
French Economy Minister Roland Lescure stated on Friday that the government will introduce “targeted, temporary measures” to support populations affected by rising fuel prices, while ruling out any “broad measures.”
“This is an uncertain crisis, it is evolving day by day. We want to manage the affected populations as closely as possible and support them in the best possible way, in a targeted, temporary manner, obviously with strict budgetary discipline,” Lescure said after a ministerial meeting on public finances.
He added that “broad measures” would not be introduced because they are “ineffective,” “costly,” and “often counterproductive.”
The minister stressed that the government will monitor the situation closely, noting that “targeting is the guarantee of efficiency. That will really be our compass.”
The measures, which will be announced at a press conference on Friday evening, will be “sector-specific, targeted and time-limited.”
Lescure will be joined by Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard and Energy Minister Maud Bregeon.
He also mentioned support for “heavy users,” including “road transport operators” and “fishermen.”
Serge Papin, Minister for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Purchasing Power, added that the public investment bank “will offer subsidized loans guaranteed by the state to help with cash flow,” and that state services “will defer payments on fiscal and social obligations.”
For nearly a month, the United States and Israel have carried out an air offensive on Iran, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively disrupted since early March. Around 20 million barrels of oil normally pass through it daily, and the disruption has driven up shipping costs and pushed global oil prices higher.
