France's prime minister has sparked fierce debate by proposing the abolition of two national holidays, aiming to tackle soaring debt with a plan that could topple his own government, the BBC reports. François Bayrou's controversial plan to tackle the country's ballooning debt hinges on scrapping two public holidays, freezing public spending, reducing the civil workforce, and halting tax breaks for the wealthy. In a proposal tied to the 2026 budget, Bayrou suggested dropping Easter Monday and May 8— the latter marking the Allied victory in World War II. He argues that with all the springtime days off, May has become "a gruyere," a reference to the holey Swiss cheese.
France must tighten its belt, he says, if it wants to avoid a financial crisis. Meanwhile, defense spending is set to climb, with President Emmanuel Macron insisting on a $4 billion increase next year, and more increases to follow. The move to eliminate public holidays quickly drew fire from political opponents. The far-right National Rally slammed it as an attack on French identity and workers, while Green party leaders criticized the loss of a day commemorating Nazi defeat. Bayrou, undeterred, called the plan "basic arithmetic," noting France needs to slash over $50 billion from its budget, with nearly $6,000 in debt piling up each second.
Bayrou's government faces the risk of a no-confidence vote this fall, a fate that ended his predecessor's tenure after fierce resistance from both the far right and the left. If parliament rejects the budget, France could see further political turmoil or even another round of elections. Currently, France has a hung parliament, meaning Bayrou can't pass the budget without support from the left or the right, neither of which approves of it, the Guardian reports.
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