Governments in several countries have proposed or enacted cuts to public holidays to improve fiscal space or meet rising defence budgets, prompting public and political backlash. France proposed removing Easter Monday and May 8; Slovakia recently cut a holiday and Denmark removed a post-Easter holiday in 2023. US commentary about holiday counts drew controversy when made on Juneteenth. Evidence that fewer public holidays increase economic productivity or GDP is limited. Some studies find small GDP increases when holidays fall on weekends and are not replaced, and certain holidays can raise demand in specific GDP subcategories.
In July, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou proposed eliminating Easter Monday and Victory in Europe Day (May 8) from France's annual list of 11 public holidays. Outrage ensued, with political leaders from across the spectrum attacking the plan. Bayrou said the move would help France ease budgetary pressures. He is not the only one to come up with such a proposal.
Across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump has gotten in on the act. On June 19, he wrote on his personal social media website that "too many non-working holidays in America" were costing "billions of dollars." Many interpreted the comments as a political statement because he made them on 'Juneteenth', a day that commemorates the end of slavery and which was made into a public holiday by the Biden Administration.
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