French PM Plans Cut Public Holidays to Reduce National Debt

France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has proposed reducing the number of national public holidays from 11 to 9 by scrapping Easter Monday and May 8, a move aimed at tackling the country's high public debt and deficit. This proposal is part of a broader 2026 budget plan that includes freezing most public spending, including welfare and pensions, except for debt servicing and defense, with the goal of cutting the budget deficit to 4.6% next year and below the EU's 3% threshold by 2029. Bayrou described France's current fiscal situation as a "curse with no way out," highlighting that the country borrows monthly to pay civil servants and pensions, and warned that public debt is a "mortal danger". The plan has faced political opposition, with figures from the far-right and left parties condemning the holiday cuts as attacks on French history and labor rights, and threatening no-confidence motions against Bayrou. The measure to eliminate two holidays is expected to generate several billion euros in additional revenue. President Emmanuel Macron has supported increased military spending amid international tensions, which has raised the fiscal improvement target for 2026.