Bayrou named Easter Monday and May 8—which commemorates the end of World War II in Europe—as the holidays he suggests removing.
He criticized the number of May holidays, saying they create a calendar "full of holes like Gruyère cheese," though he added he was open to alternative suggestions.
Warning that France is "at risk of being crushed under debt," Bayrou outlined bold steps needed to rein in the budget deficit during a speech titled "The Moment of Truth," which lasted over an hour.
