France: Prime minister proposes cutting two public holidays to save money in 2026 budget

France’s prime minister proposed on Tuesday to cut two public holidays from the country’s calendar, in an effort to save money in next year’s budget. 

François Bayrou targeted Easter Monday which he said has "no religious meaning", and 8 May, the day marking the Allied victory over the Nazis in World War II. 

"The entire nation needs to work more to produce and for the country's overall activity to be more significant throughout the year, so that France's situation improves", Bayrou said in an address to lawmakers.

Bayrou's proposal is among a raft of spending cuts laid out in a sweeping, and potentially doomed, budget plan.

He argued that removing two state holidays would bring in tax revenues generated from economic activity, contributing to around €44 billion euros in overall savings.

"It means working more to earn less. It means asking us to work for free. When are we going to talk about dividends [for shareholders]?", said Sophie Binet, the secretary-general of the General Confederation Labour union, on TV channel France 2.

France currently has 11 public holidays per year, slightly below the European Union average of 12,07.

Bayrou's proposal also drew criticism from opposition parties. 

"Bayrou declares a social war", said Mathilde Panot, the president of the leftist La France Insoumise group at the National Assembly, in a press conference.

"The abolition of two public holidays, as meaningful as Easter Monday and 8 May, is a direct attack on our history, our roots, and the working France", said far-right National Rally president Jordan Bardella on X.

President Emmanuel Macron tasked Bayrou with crafting a budget that shaves costs to bring down France’s staggering debt and deficit, while also adding billions in new defence spending to face what Macron says are resurgent threats from Russia and beyond.

Among other spending cuts on Tuesday, Bayrou said that a third of civil servants would not be replaced when they retired. He also said France would scale back its subsidies for prescription medicine.

The CGT called for demonstrations in autumn to protest the measures.

With no parliamentary majority, Macron’s centrist grouping must win support from adversaries on the left and right to pass the budget this fall.

Bayrou’s job is precarious, and he could be voted out if he fails to reach compromise on the budget.