France PM proposes cutting 2 public holidays and freezing public spending
發佈日期: 2025-07-16 20:43
TVB News
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has proposed scrapping two public holidays and freezing most public spending as part of a 43.8-billion-euro budget squeeze.
Bayrou's plan involves freezing welfare spending and tax brackets in 2026 at the previous year's levels, not even adjusting for inflation.
The plan was immediately criticised by left-wing and far-right politicians.
Defence spending, however, will increase.
France saw its budget deficit hit 5.8 percent of GDP last year nearly double the official EU limit of 3 percent of GDP.
This as a political crisis left four successive governments paralysed and incapable of tackling an unexpected drop in tax income and surge in spending for a second year.
The two public holidays said to be cut will likely be Easter Monday and May 8th, which commemorates the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Bayrou said there are simply too many public holidays in May and the French must get back to work that month.
