Wednesday, July 16, 2025 - France is entering choppy political waters today as Prime Minister François Bayrou announced plans to eliminate two public holidays Easter Monday and May 8 (VE Day) as part of a €43.8 billion deficit-cutting package aimed at reducing the national debt to comply with EU mandates.
Bayrou justified the move, stating “The entire nation must work more… to improve France’s situation.” While the proposal could contribute an extra €4 billion to state coffers, critics say it jeopardizes cultural heritage and workers’ rights and risks repeating a disastrous 2005 policy that toppled a previous prime minister .
Public outcry has been fierce. A Harris Interactive poll found 70% of French citizens oppose the idea, and 61% reject the related welfare-spending freeze.
Opposition leaders, including Marine Le Pen and union head Sophie Binet, have condemned the plan as “a direct attack on our history, our roots, and the France of workers.”
Even Labour Minister Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet acknowledged that businesses may be expected to offer some form of compensation in return for the extra workday but details remain murky.
With Bayrou’s minority government already under fire surviving eight no-confidence motions since December parliamentary resistance could trigger a showdown. If lawmakers reject the cuts, Bayrou may face another motion, risking early elections.
0 Comments