French prime minister François Bayrou said he wants to cut public holidays to help reduce France’s debt.
Presenting the 2026 budget proposals, Bayrou said two of France’s 11 national holidays could be scrapped, suggesting Easter Monday and May 8, which commemorates the end of World War II in Europe.
After years of overspending, France is under pressure to control its public deficit and cut its sprawling debt, as required under EU rules.
“Losing two public holidays, meanwhile, would add several billions of euros to the state’s coffers,” he stated.
However, the proposed measure sparked an immediate protest from Jordan Bardella, leader of the right-wing National Rally. He said abolishing two holidays–especially ones as filled with meaning as Easter Monday and May 8–is a “direct attack on our history, our roots and on labour in France.”
The party’s parliamentary leader, Marine Le Pen, warned that “if François Bayrou does not revise his plan, we will vote for a no-confidence motion.”
