French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou wants to scrap two public holidays to put France's finances back on track. It's a brave move: The last French leader to try something similar soon found himself out of a job.

By staking out such a maximalist position on the budget, the French PM may be giving himself room to negotiate a fall deal.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has announced plans to impose a new tax targeting the country’s wealthiest citizens as part of a broader auster

The Prime Minister presents the "main lines" of the 2026 budget. French Prime Minister, François Bayrou, is on thin ice after presenting the "main lines" of the 2026 budget, which includes freezing pensions,

PARIS (AP) — France’s prime minister proposed on Tuesday the elimination of two public holidays from the country’s annual calendar — possibly Easter Monday and the day marking the Allied victory over the Nazis — to save money in next year’s budget.

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has proposed scrapping two of the country's 11 public holidays as part of a deeply unpopular emergency plan to plug a budget hole. In his sights is Easter Monday and one of four bank holidays in May, a month Bayrou compared to Gruyère cheese for its many holes.

But the budget Bayrou and his ministers presented was marked by a €43.8 billion squeeze designed to bring down France’s €3.3 trillion public debt and rein in its budget deficit while boosting France's defense spending.

His words are interpreted as an unconditional alignment with his Prime Minister despite the announcement of a motion of censure from right to left. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has endorsed "the courage,

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has unveiled a controversial plan to slash 43.8 billion euros ($51 billion) from state spending, warning that mounting debt poses a "mortal danger" to the nation.