


French budget idea cuts pair of holidays
France’s prime minister proposed 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.
That’s among a raft of spending cuts laid out by Prime Minister Francois Bayrou in a sweeping, and potentially doomed, budget plan Tuesday. He argued that removing two state holidays would bring in tax revenues generated from economic activity, contributing to $51.3 billion in overall savings.
Bayrou said France’s debt has reached 114% of gross domestic product.
He said that those holidays were just suggestions, and that he was open to other ideas. France has 11 official holidays per year. — Associated Press