“It is necessary to work more. Therefore, I propose that two holidays for the country be eliminated,” said François Bayrou, on Tuesday, July 15, announcing the roads retained by the Government to achieve “43.8 billion savings” in the 2026 budget.
The latter added that this could bring “several billions to the state budget, simply because the nation will work and that our production will improve”, taking a proposal here already formulated by the MEDEF, the main union of employers or by the Montaigne Institute, in the liberal line. A graphics projected during the press conference showed a profit of 4.2 billion euros.
A contribution of the companies that remain to be defined
The two days paid currently without being worked would remain paid, but when they become two days worked. Then, the company would donate a part of the profits generated in these two days in the form of contribution to the State, whose quantity remains to be defined. Specifically, there would be no salary increase, but it does not fall, only more hours of work for both public employees and for the private sector.
Therefore, employers will see their production to relieve additional salary costs. Hence the idea of the Executive to collect a contribution.
Actually, the government’s proposal is closer to the operation of the day of solidarity: in terms of Pentecost Monday, a contribution of companies in the profits extracted from work that day would be established.
With the difference that it will not necessarily be a contribution of up to 0.3%, since for the day of solidarity (its amount remains to be defined) and that the income obtained thanks to this contribution would not necessarily be assigned to social security. In addition, companies will not be allowed to fragment these two days (for example, working two more minutes every day).
Without knowing the exact rate of the contribution, it is difficult to anticipate the impact on public finances. But government estimate seems consistent or even low, since Pentecost solidarity brought 3.5 billion in 2025 to public finances.
A Senate report had proposed the Creation of a new day of solidarity of this type, anticipating additional 2.4 billion euros. Here the government offers two eliminated vacations, the income will be normally higher.
3 billion more than GDP
In addition, these two new business days could also generate other recipes for the State. Because these two days represent 14 hours of more work, which would result in greater production and GDP. And therefore fiscal resources.
At the moment, the potential effect on the economy is not specified precisely. To give an idea, it is possible to refer to a note from the INSE that evaluates the effect of the calendar of the year 2024 on French GDP (domestic gross).
Its authors point out that “two more workers in 2024 compared to 2023” had a positive growth of 0.10 points (or approximately 3 billion additional euros). On paper, working for two additional days could increase GDP of 3 billion euros.
Along the same lines, the Mathieu plane, an of the OFCE, told TF1 last year that “every day Ferié that falls during the week, represents a loss of 0.06 GDP”, approximately 1.75 billion euros and, therefore, potentially 3.5 billion if two days are eliminated.
According to BFM commercial calculations, this could increase tax revenues by around one billion euros.
Source: BFM TV
