France Prime Minister Bayrou Proposes Cutting Two Public Holidays to Reduce Budget Deficit

French Prime Minister François Bayrou has proposed cutting two national holidays, potentially Easter Monday and May 8, in an effort to reduce the country's ballooning debt and deficit. He warned that France is at a critical point, facing a financial crisis similar to Greece’s unless decisive budget cuts and productivity measures are implemented. Bayrou's plan includes freezing nonmilitary spending, not replacing one in three civil servants upon retirement, and scaling back subsidies for prescription medication. The proposed elimination of holidays aims to increase workdays and boost state revenues by several billion euros, but it has triggered strong backlash from political opponents, including far-right leader Marine Le Pen and leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The prime minister emphasized that France’s debt, now at 114% of GDP, threatens economic stability, with additional concerns about international tensions and potential U.S. tariffs on EU goods. Bayrou must navigate opposition in a fractured parliament that may challenge his budget proposals, risking further political instability.