France’s Prime Minister, François Bayrou, has proposed eliminating two national public holidays from the country’s calendar as part of efforts to repair public finances and save money in next year’s budget.
Bayrou warned that France could face a Greek-style financial crisis if decisive steps aren’t taken to rein in its ballooning debt and deficit.
In a sobering address to lawmakers and members of President Emmanuel Macron’s cabinet, Bayrou revealed that France’s debt has climbed to 114 percent of GDP, among the highest in Europe.
He said bringing it down would require freezing non-military spending and encouraging the French population to “work more.”
“It’s the last stop before the cliff, before we are crushed by the debt,” Bayrou said.
Among the two holidays proposed for elimination are Easter Monday and May 8, which commemorates the end of the Second World War in Europe and is often used as a “bridge” by the French to take a four-day weekend in the middle of spring.
“It’s the entire country going back to work on a day it hasn’t worked for a long time,” he said, noting that the move could generate “several billion euros” through increased productivity. France currently has 11 national public holidays, the same number as the United States.
Bayrou argued that removing two state holidays would generate additional tax revenue and contribute to a projected €44 billion (about $51.3 billion) in overall savings.
Macron has tasked Bayrou with drafting a budget that reduces France’s staggering debt and deficit—while also increasing defense spending in response to growing threats from Russia and other global challenges.
The prime minister questioned the religious and historical significance of the proposed holidays. He said Victory Day, celebrated on May 8, falls in a month already packed with other holidays, including May Day and Ascension Day, making it “a veritable Gruyère,” or a month full of holes in productivity.
He clarified that the two holidays mentioned were only suggestions and that he remains open to other ideas.
Bayrou’s proposal is already facing strong opposition, and with Macron’s party lacking a parliamentary majority, they will need backing from both left, and right-wing parties to pass the budget later this year.
The idea of cutting holidays has been quickly criticized by unions and the far-right National Rally, which is now the largest single party in the National Assembly.
Bayrou’s position is at risk, as failure to reach a budget deal could lead to his removal by a parliamentary vote.
