France’s Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Tuesday proposed cutting two public holidays as part of a 2026 budget proposal to slash public spending while also increasing defence expenses.
Bayrou suggested for example making people work on Easter Monday and on May 8, a day that commemorates Victory in Europe at the end of World War II, though adding he was open to other options.
France is under pressure to bring its public deficit under three per cent of GDP as required under EU rules.
The centrist premier said the government aimed to bring the deficit down from 5.8 per cent last year to below 4.6 per cent next year and to under three per cent by 2029.
To achieve this, other measures would include a freeze on expenses, except for debt servicing and the defence sector.
President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said defence spending should rise by €3.5 billion in 2026, and then by a further €3 billion in 2027. France has a defence budget of €50.5 billion euros for 2025.
