François Bayrou persists and signs. The Prime Minister maintained his two -holiday abolition measure as part of the savings plan for the 2026 budget. The mayor of Pau invited the social partners to engage in a negotiation in September in a letter sent on Friday evening. While oppositions already promise him censorship, why does François Bayrou persist with this unpopular measure?
A significant savings track
François Bayrou had already mentioned on July 15 the abolition of two holidays to participate in the budgetary effort during his press conference. In the “guidance document” sent to the unions, that 20 Minutes could consult, Matignon specifies that “monthly employees and public officials will not be remunerated more for these new hours of work” and “in return, private sector employers will pay a contribution which will be assigned to the state budget”. The government thus intends to save no less than “4.2 billion euros from 2026”. A significant financial windfall at a time when more than 43 billion are to be found.
A negotiation margin?
François Bayrou calls unions to the negotiating table. But to debate what? “Everything is specified in the orientation document,” said Matignon. The Prime Minister says he is simply open to “discuss” the identified public holidays deleted (Easter Monday and May 8), or to leave room for maneuver for companies for employees working on these dates. There is therefore no question of compromising on the abolition of public holidays, despite the frontal opposition of the inter -union. “It is a duty of citizens […] To avoid the disaster, ”said François Bayrou in a new YouTube video on Monday.
In view of the wrathful reactions of all the oppositions, which promise him censorship, some wonder: what if François Bayrou used this controversial proposal to better negotiate this fall? “It brings together a lure to let go of someone at the right time,” analyzes the relative of a leading minister in Franceinfo. Clearly, the Prime Minister could give it up to show white leg and convince part of the opposition not to have his government fall.
Go without denying
François Bayrou likes to recall that he has made public debt one of his fights for several years. During the 2007 presidential campaign, the “third man” already said he wanted to “stop this slow and deaf degradation of our public finances” in his profession of faith, castigating the spending promises of his rivals. So, now that he is at the country’s controllers, the Béarnais does not intend to derogate from his principles of reducing deficits. Even if it has to go through controversial measures, such as the removal of public holidays. “It will be its budget. He wants to put an end to 40 years of political cowardice, blows one of his relatives. Either he manages to bring the 40 billion euros in savings, or it will be censored and the assembly will carry the responsibility for the weight of the debt. »»