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France’s Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Tuesday proposed cutting two public holidays as part of a budget plan for 2026 aimed at reducing public spending while also boosting defence expenditures.
Bayrou suggested, for instance, that workers could be required to work on Easter Monday and May 8, which honours Victory in Europe after World War II, although he mentioned he was open to alternative ideas.
France faces the challenge of reducing its public deficit to below three per cent of GDP, as mandated by EU regulations.
The centrist Prime Minister said that the government plans to reduce the deficit from 5.8 per cent last year to less than 4.6 per cent next year and aims to achieve a deficit of less than three per cent by 2029.
To achieve this goal, additional measures will include a freeze on costs, except debt servicing and defence spending.
On Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron announced that defence expenditures should increase by 3.5 billion euros ($4.1 billion) in 2026, followed by an additional three billion euros in 2027. France’s defence budget for 2025 stands at € 50.5 billion.
