opinion

The French value their leisure time, and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's suggestion of eliminating two statutory holidays to get public debt under control amounted to a declaration of war.

In scheduling a Sept. 8 confidence vote on his government’s proposal to cut €44-billion (approximately $70-billion) from its 2026 budget, beleaguered French Prime Minister François Bayrou gave lawmakers an ultimatum. They could, he said, “choose between chaos and responsibility.”

Presumably, he meant the former is what awaits France if his government falls next month. Yet, with labour and the left already vowing to shut down the country to protest Mr. Bayrou’s proposed cuts, the French autumn promises to be chaotic whichever way the confidence vote goes.

As it stands, Mr. Bayrou’s nine-mon

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