French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced Tuesday that he wants to cut two of France’s 11 national public holidays as part of a broader push to reduce the country’s mounting public debt.
Unveiling the 2026 budget proposals, Bayrou suggested eliminating Easter Monday and May 8 — the latter marking the end of World War II in Europe — to bring France closer to Germany’s nine national holidays and below Italy’s 12. He claimed the move could generate “several billion euros” in savings.
“France borrows each month to pay pensions and civil servant salaries,” Bayrou said. “This is a curse with no way out.”
The proposal comes as France faces EU pressure to rein in its deficit and reduce its debt, which now stands at 114% of GDP, the highest in the EU after Greece and Italy.
Political backlash
The announcement triggered swift backlash from across the political spectrum.
Far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella slammed the plan as “a direct attack on our history, our roots, and on labour in France.” Parliamentary leader Marine Le Pen warned of a no-confidence vote if the plan proceeds.
Left-wing firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Unbowed called for Bayrou’s resignation, while MP Mathilde Panot accused him of igniting a “social war.”
Broad austerity measures
Beyond cutting holidays, Bayrou outlined a range of austerity measures aimed at reducing the deficit to 4.6% of GDP in 2026, down from 5.4% this year, with a target of below 3% by 2029, in line with EU rules.
Key measures include freezing spending across most sectors, including pensions and health; increasing defence spending by €3.5 billion in 2026, bringing the total to €50.5 billion; cutting 3,000 civil service jobs; shutting down unproductive state agencies; asking wealthier citizens to contribute more.
“We’ve become addicted to public spending,” Bayrou said. “We are at a critical juncture in our history.”
He also invoked Greece’s financial collapse as a warning, saying France must act now to avoid a similar fate.
“The nation’s effort must be fair,” Bayrou concluded. “We’ll ask little of those with little, and more of those who have more.”
AFP
