France's Prime Minister Fran?ois Bayrou is taking his budget battle to the people — via social media. In a bid to defend some of the most aggressive spending cuts in decades, Bayrou has released a series of videos aimed at convincing citizens that painful measures are necessary to tame the country's ballooning debt.

France's public debt has hit a record 114 percent of GDP. To meet its 2026 fiscal targets, the government says it must slash more than $50 billion from public spending. The proposed plan? Scrapping two of the country's 11 public holidays, freezing certain social services, and tightening benefits.

"Everyone will have to contribute to the effort to get public spending back under control," Bayrou declared in a national address.

But political analyst Stéphane Rozen warns the burden won't be shared equally. "The French feel a lot is being asked of the middle and working classes… fewer services, less access to healthcare, while the incomes of the wealthiest, especially those involved in large-scale tax fraud, remain untouched," he said.

Bayrou's social media push comes as much of the nation heads off for the August holiday break. His videos frame the cuts as a necessary… and a "bearable" sacrifice. Yet Rozen believes the tone risks alienating the public. "It's like a school teacher lecturing a distracted class," he said.

On the streets of Paris, reactions are mixed. Chris, an elderly local resident, admits the cuts are worrying but sees them as inevitable, saying: "We are so indebted… there's got to be massive cuts."

Others are less forgiving. "It's the same people who will suffer from this. We're against it," said Laura, another Parisian.

For Celia, who works long hours, losing public holidays feels like a direct hit: "Bank holidays really count for people to rest."

The backlash is not confined to the public. Both far-right and left-wing opposition parties have threatened a no-confidence vote, which could topple the government entirely.

The tension is set to spill onto the streets on September 10, when nationwide strikes and protests are planned. Unions and opposition groups are mobilizing to challenge what they see as unfair, poorly targeted austerity measures.

With political pressure mounting and public anger simmering, Bayrou's online charm offensive may face its toughest test yet. France now waits to see whether the Prime Minister's budget gamble will steady the nation's finances… or shake its political foundations.