French Socialist government targets wealthy foreigners with tax on second homes Francios Hollande needs the extra cash to boost his floundering economy He is considering a 20 per cent tax hike on all second homes in France The tax, which will hit thousands of Britons, could rake in £117 million However Hollande's finance minister has ruled out new taxes during 2015 Thousands of British people with second homes in France are facing tax rises of 20 per cent as the country's Socialist government targets wealthy foreigners. President Francois Hollande's floundering administration wants to use the extra money to raise an extra £117m towards its EU budget deficit. Mr Hollande's employment minister, Francois Rebsamen, said some 170,000 homes in Paris alone were owned by "rich foreigners" who could afford to pay more tax. French President, Francois Hollande wants to use the new tax to fill a major hole in the nation's finances But Mr Rebsamen questioned the fairness of the new charge, saying: "I am mostly against it. When we say that we won't increase taxes, we shouldn't increase taxes. Other opponents said it was another example of a desperate left-wing government which views property owners as "lambs to the slaughter." The so-called "Weekend Tax" would primarily be aimed at those who buy apartments in major cities and then leave them empty for most of the year. It will mean an extra 20 per cent on the "tax d'habitation" (habitation tax), paid by anyone with property in France. The increase will apply to homes which are not primary residences and which have not been rented out in around 30 major urban areas - a status which applies to properties owned by thousands of rich British people. Paris is notorious for its empty apartment blocks, with flats only used occasionally at weekends and during holidays. The tax d'habitation on a two bedroom flat in central Paris is currently around £550 a year - a figure which will rise to £660. French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, pictured, pledged that no new taxes would be introduced in 2015 It is hoped that the rise in charges will put more of the apartments on the rental market, and add to the coffers of local authorities. But Jean Perrin, president of the National Union of Property Owners, said the Socialists had reduced property owners to "lambs to the slaughter." Mr Perrin said: "It's a new craze of this government to tax property. It's a mistake because it will increase the cost of real estate and punish owners who have worked hard to have a second home. Mr Perrin added: "Saying this is about freeing up housing is a fundamental error." Mr Hollande's party came to power as an avowed enemy of the rich, proposing a top rate of income tax of 75 per cent, but it has since softened its approach. Finance Minister Michel Sapin said last month that no new taxes would be introduced in 2015 - a claim which has not been greeted with much confidence. There are some 200,000 UK holiday homeowners in France. Most are in Provence, the Dordogne, Normandy and Brittany, but flats in cities such as Paris, Bordeaux and Marseille are also extremely popular - both as an investment and as a weekend and holiday retreat. According to a report in the respected financial newspaper, Les Echos, the new property tax bill will be presented to Parliament in the coming months.