While there is talk of a possible removal of a public holiday, one of them has already been ousted from the calendar.
This is the big idea of the moment: to make the French work more, not by going back to 39 hours a week, but by removing a public holiday from the calendar. France has 11, which places it in the European average. The Netherlands has 8, Finland 15. If France therefore does not have the dunce cap of non-working days, it is whispered – insistently – that the elimination of one of these days is good considered.
It remains to be seen which one. The 1is January ? The 1is may ? May 8? July 14? August 15? The 1is november ? November 11? December 25? Easter Monday? The Ascension? Pentecost? Tricky question. Some are engraved in stone, others celebrate history, several are linked to religion… It's difficult to decide, even in a secular country. However, a few years ago, the situation had already arisen and a public holiday had already been canceled.
This is not new, only the most diligent rememberers remember it. For 28 years, May 8 was no longer a public holiday in France. Between 1946 and 1953, then between 1960 and 1981, the anniversary of the end of the Second World War became a working day like any other. This “resulted[ssait] to increase the number of public holidays, to the detriment of national activity”, Charles de Gaulle justified in 1959.
Over these three decades, the surrender of the Nazis was celebrated in various ways: either on May 8 if it fell on a Sunday, or the following Sunday, or on May 8 at the end of the day. Could the option be on the table again? Why not, on the condition that a commemoration is always carried out, in memory of veterans.
Between 1975 and 1981, Valery Giscard d'Estaing abandoned all celebrations, which aroused the indignation of veterans' associations. François Mitterrand then reestablished a public holiday, which has remained in force ever since.
A return to the rules in force between 1968 and 1980 (working day and commemorations at the end of the day) could, for example, be studied. If the idea could appeal, it would however risk making tourism professionals cringe, the month of May and its bridges being conducive to long weekends.
Only finances should make it possible to settle the debate: what brings in the most money for the State? An extra day of work or tourism for a few days?
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