French Prime Minister resorts to YouTube to push through budget reductions and quiet public discontent
In a bid to engage the French people in finding realistic and sustainable solutions, French Prime Minister Jean-Louis Bayrou has launched a weekly YouTube show called FB Direct. The show, which aims to explain not just the debt problem but also other government reforms, has been met with a mix of anticipation and controversy.
Bayrou's key proposals for the 2026 budget focus on reducing public debt while promoting economic growth. One of the most controversial measures is the removal of two public holidays, Easter Monday and 8 May (which marks the end of World War II in Europe). This move is intended to increase working days, thereby boosting economic output and productivity.
Another contentious proposal is the freezing of pensions, a cost-containment measure aimed at fiscal consolidation. These measures, along with new tax increases, are part of a broader effort to manage France’s significant debt load and fund social and climate initiatives.
The government under Bayrou is preparing to introduce tax hikes in 2026 to generate an additional €40 billion revenue. While specific tax measures are not yet detailed, these increases are a crucial part of the strategy to reduce the national debt, which has reached alarming levels.
France's public deficit reached 5.8 percent of GDP in 2024, and the debt has climbed to almost 114 percent, making it the third-highest in the eurozone, behind Greece and Italy. To address this "catastrophic" fiscal situation, Bayrou seeks to balance the budget and restore financial stability.
The first episode of FB Direct, an eight-minute video, saw Bayrou discussing the challenges of the 2026 budget. He emphasized the need to make efforts now and not push them off until tomorrow. The monologues on FB Direct are expected to continue until early September, with Bayrou promising to start responding to viewer questions and ideas next week.
The aim of FB Direct is to involve the French people in the search for realistic and sustainable solutions, as stated by the government spokesperson. Through this platform, the Prime Minister wishes to communicate directly with the French people to explain his choices and approach.
The first episode of FB Direct received 44,000 views and almost 4,000 comments. However, not all reactions have been positive. Political journalist Francois Beaudonnet criticized Bayrou's message as repetitive, providing no new information. Despite this, the show has sparked discussions and debates on the proposed reforms and their implications for the French people.
As Bayrou's 2026 budget reforms combine austerity measures with a strategic aim to reduce the debt burden and foster economic competitiveness, it remains to be seen how the French public and parliament will respond to these proposals. The approach has been described as courageous by some leaders, including President Macron, but remains controversial among the public and certain political factions.
[1] Le Monde, "Les propositions du budget 2026 de Jean-Louis Bayrou : un budget de consolidation, mais avec des mesures sociales", 1st April 2025. [2] Le Figaro, "Les mesures fiscales prévues pour 2026 : une hausse des impôts de 40 milliards d'euros", 5th April 2025.
- The French Prime Minister, Jean-Louis Bayrou, has initiated a weekly YouTube show called FB Direct, aiming to engage the French people in finding realistic and sustainable solutions, particularly focusing on the 2026 budget and other government reforms.
- Bayrou's 2026 budget proposals include measures such as reducing public debt, increasing working days by removing two public holidays, freezing pensions, and implementing new tax increases to manage France's significant debt load and fund social and climate initiatives.
- The government under Bayrou is preparing to introduce tax hikes in 2026, aiming to generate an additional €40 billion revenue, as part of a broader effort to balance the budget, restore financial stability, and address France's high debt-to-GDP ratio, which has reached almost 114 percent.
- The international news outlets Le Monde and Le Figaro have reported on Bayrou's budget proposals, highlighting the controversy surrounding the austerity measures and the government's strategy to combine fiscal consolidation with social measures and economic growth policies.
