Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right, has vowed to push for the government’s resignation if Prime Minister Gabriel Attal does not abandon his uncompromising budget plan, which includes canceling two public holidays. If Le Pen follows through, President Emmanuel Macron risks losing another prime minister as early as fall—amid a deepening political deadlock that is making France increasingly ungovernable.
“This government would rather go against its own people, workers, and retirees than tackle wasteful spending,” Le Pen declared on X, as Attal unveiled a €43.8 billion austerity plan. The goal is to reduce France’s €3.3 trillion public debt and rein in its chronic budget deficit.
Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), currently the most popular party in France, is already gearing up for the 2027 presidential race. Its support—or opposition—could determine the government’s survival.
At a press conference billed as a “moment of truth,” Attal announced a series of contentious measures, including:
- Thousands of civil service job cuts,
- €5 billion in healthcare spending reductions,
- Frozen wages for some officials and social benefits, including pensions.
But the most explosive proposal was scrapping two of France’s 11 public holidays—Easter Monday and Victory in Europe Day (May 8). The government argues this will boost GDP by preventing “a series of short workweeks” due to the cluster of holidays between late April and early June. “The country must work more,” Attal stated.
Though the government insists it won’t raise taxes, it introduced a “solidarity contribution” for high earners. The only sector spared cuts? Defense, which will see a €6.5 billion increase.
Attal’s attempt to frame these cuts as a “collective sacrifice for the common good” is unlikely to convince the French, who are deeply attached to their social protections. The last major reform—raising the retirement age in 2023—sparked mass protests and remains widely unpopular.
Official debates on the budget will only begin after summer recess, but Attal’s plans are already jeopardizing his minority government, which relies on tacit support from at least one major opposition group—a role National Rally has played in recent weeks.
RN, which had previously taken a wait-and-see approach, immediately condemned the budget. Party president Jordan Bardella called the removal of May 8 a “direct attack on French history,” while RN’s chief economist Jean-Philippe Tanguy accused Attal of “flipping the bird to the people.”
The prime minister himself seems aware of the risks: “We are at the mercy of the opposition and may simply fail to pass this plan,” he admitted.
