No, Germany is not the country in Europe with the fewest public holidays.

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Since François Bayrou's proposal to eliminate two public holidays, several French media outlets have cited the German example, where nine public holidays would be granted. However, depending on the state, Germans enjoy between ten and fourteen public holidays.

Easter Monday in Traunstein, southern Germany, celebrated with traditional costumes and religious symbols, April 1, 2024. (Lukas BArth-Tuttas /AFP)

Following François Bayrou's proposal to abolish two public holidays , preferably in May, several media outlets have published articles detailing the number of days off in our European neighbors. One example that often comes up is that of Germany, which is said to be the worst off.

TF1 writes that "if the abolition of public holidays were to be confirmed, with nine units of non-working time, France would fall to the level […] of Germany." Sud-Ouest assures that its German neighbor is among "the least well-off countries" in Europe with only nine days.

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