France to abolish Easter Monday holiday for budget savings
French Prime Minister François Bayrou. Photo: open sources
The French government plans to include in the 2026 state budget a provision abolishing two public holidays – Easter Monday and May 8 (Europe’s Victory Day). The report comes from the French newspaper Les Echos.
According to a letter from Prime Minister François Bayrou sent to business and labor associations, this measure is expected to bring an additional €4.2 billion to the state budget in 2026 alone.
The authorities justify the move by noting that the French work fewer hours than their European counterparts. For example, in Germany, full-time employees work 1,790 hours per year, compared to 1,673 hours for similar positions in France.
The Cabinet is open to compromise: if the abolition of these particular holidays meets strong resistance, the government will consider scrapping other public holidays instead.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that France topped the list of anti-Christian countries in the EU.
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