PARIS: 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 WWII, though adding he was open to other options.
France is under pressure to bring its public deficit under 3% of GDP as required under EU rules.
The centrist premier said the government aimed to bring the deficit down from 5.8% last year to below 4.6% next year and to under 3% 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 for 2025.