TotalEnergies summoned to the Assembly: Patrick Pouyanné expected to address the taxation of "superprofits"

The chairman of the National Assembly's Finance Committee, Éric Coquerel (LFI), has set the time and venue: Patrick Pouyanné will be questioned on June 17 at 10:00 AM. On the agenda is a recurring theme since the surge in energy prices: "the taxation of super-profits and the taxation of multinationals." The head of TotalEnergies, a regular in parliament, has agreed to participate.

Those close to the left-wing MP emphasize the topicality of the issue. Éric Coquerel highlights the question of insufficient taxation in France and also mentions the debate on prices, particularly the idea of ​​a price freeze. The context, however, is quietly explosive: high profits in the wake of international tensions, a public sensitive to the cost of living, and a political class each seeking, in its own way, a visible lever of power.

Persistent political pressure on the oil group

This meeting is nothing new. Since the 2022 energy crisis, Patrick Pouyanné has been questioned numerous times before Parliament, with TotalEnergies citing eleven hearings in the National Assembly and the Senate. The CEO readily presents himself as a leader who is "accountable," while knowing that the session often turns into a confrontation: on one side, the republican promise of oversight; on the other, the defense of a globalized group, with its activities, taxes, and investment choices spread across several continents.

The hearing is therefore expected to revolve around some pointed questions. Where does TotalEnergies actually pay its taxes, and why is a significant portion of its tax revenue generated outside of France? What role do dividends and share buybacks play when fuel prices at the pump remain a political marker? And how far can a company go in its commercial "gestures" without being subjected to a special tax, an issue the left has been pushing for for months?

The underlying issue remains, more political than economic: the government has often preferred to let the company decide how to redistribute profits, through rebates or targeted initiatives, rather than opening the door to a national surtax. Patrick Pouyanné, for his part, has already warned that certain price caps could be lifted if a specific tax were levied on its activities in France. On June 17, the National Assembly will not set the price of a barrel of oil, but it can still influence how TotalEnergies presents its role in the collective effort, and the continuation of a debate that no one seems ready to close.