France’s Prime Minister François Bayrou has proposed eliminating two national public holidays, that’s Easter Monday and May 8th (Victory in Europe Day). The move is part of a sweeping 2026 budget plan aimed at cutting public spending while ramping up defense expenditure.
Describing the month of May as “a Swiss cheese full of holes” due to its many holidays, Bayrou said France must increase productivity to address its worsening debt crisis. He insisted his proposal was “basic arithmetic,” arguing that France needs to cut over €40 billion from its budget to control a debt that, by his estimate, grows by €5,000 every second.
At a press conference labeled “The Moment of Truth,” Bayrou unveiled a raft of controversial measures including a public spending freeze, elimination of tax breaks for the wealthy, and a reduction in civil service jobs. The plan also accounts for President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to boost defence spending by €3.5 billion in 2026 and another €3 billion by 2027.
Bayrou’s most contentious proposal, the removal of the 8 May holiday commemorating the Allied victory over Nazi Germany triggered immediate political and public backlash. The far-right National Rally party condemned it as an attack on French history, while Green party leaders said scrapping the VE Day holiday disrespected the memory of the fight against fascism.
The Prime Minister, who has only held office since December after Michel Barnier’s government fell, now risks a similar no-confidence vote in parliament. France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon and RN’s Marine Le Pen have both vowed to bring Bayrou down if he doesn’t backtrack.
Despite the political risks, Bayrou defended his bold approach: “We want to change things to restore our public finances even if it means risking our position.”
If the government collapses, President Macron could be forced to appoint a technocratic administration or call yet another election, an unattractive prospect for a deeply divided parliament and a president with approval ratings below 25%.
