France could become the first country in the eurozone to introduce a financial transaction tax.
In an interview on French TV tonight, President Nicolas Sarkozy said the tax of 0.1% would be introduced in August.
Mr Sarkozy faces a campaign for re-election this spring.
Opinion polls show Mr Sarkozy could lose a run-off against Socialist challenger Francois Hollande by 10%.
Some member of his UMP party believe he is suffering from his decision to leave launching his campaign until close to a 16 March deadline.
