French Prime Minister Bayrou's proposal to eliminate some public holidays in order to reduce public debt.

16.07.2025 20:42

French Prime Minister François Bayrou, who presented the outline of the 2026 budget to the National Assembly, proposed the removal of certain public holidays, such as Easter Monday and May 8, which symbolizes the end of World War II, as part of a plan to reduce public debt.

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In France, one of the countries with the highest public debt among European Union (EU) members, the government is gearing up for the 2026 budget, which foresees austerity measures on one hand while planning to increase defense spending on the other.

PRIME MINISTER BAYROU'S PROPOSAL TO REMOVE SOME PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

French Prime Minister François Bayrou presented the government's 2026 budget outline to the National Assembly yesterday. In his speech at the National Assembly, Bayrou suggested that some public holidays in France could be removed, citing Easter Monday and May 8, which symbolizes the end of World War II, as examples. He also stated that he was ready to accept the removal of these holidays and could evaluate new proposals.

SPARKED A DEBATE

While last year's budget discussions led to the government's fall in France, this year's budget negotiations have also sparked a debate due to Prime Minister Bayrou's indication that some holidays could be canceled as part of austerity measures.

PUBLIC DEBT TO GDP RATIO IN FRANCE IS 113%

Among EU member countries, France ranks third in 2024 with a public debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio of 113%. France is also one of the countries with the highest budget deficit at 5.8%. While the government seeks to implement austerity measures to pay off public debt, its budget plans have been characterized by the opposition as "austerity policies" and met with backlash.

2025 BUDGET HAD LED TO GOVERNMENT FALL

On the other hand, the 2025 budget could not be approved in the National Assembly due to the government crises that occurred. Moreover, the Michel Barnier government, which could not reach a consensus with the opposition during the budget discussions, fell on December 4, 2024, as a result of simultaneous support for the censure motion from left-wing alliances and far-right deputies.

Following the fall of the Barnier government, a special budget proposal was unanimously approved in the National Assembly on December 17 to prevent a "shutdown" until a new government is formed.