The French are being encouraged to take more naps just days after their prime minister scolded the public for not working enough.
Minister of Health Yannick Neuder unveiled on Tuesday a government report claiming that 50% of French citizens are not satisfied with their quality of sleep. The data suggested that over the past 50 years, French people have lost an average of 1.5 hours a night.
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“Sleep is not a luxury,” Neuder said, “it is a non-negotiable necessity, an essential biological process.”
The health ministry suggests adopting siesta-style power naps to prevent burnout and make up for the perceived decline in rest.
“I am very much in favor of napping, whether at work or at school,” the health minister said.
The assessment might raise eyebrows abroad, as France is a notoriously employee-friendly nation that has enjoyed a 35-hour work week since labor reforms were implemented in 2000.
France mandates 30 days of vacation time for workers, among the most generous allotments in Europe, and boasts 11 public holidays.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister François Bayrou floated the unpopular idea of trimming the number of public holidays to address the country’s growing economic crisis.
He cited Easter Monday and VE Day as prime candidates for removal from the holiday calendar, claiming such a move would be a financial windfall for the struggling nation.
“As a nation, we must work more,” Bayrou said. “This change to our holiday calendar will bring in billions to the state budget, simply because businesses, shops, the civil service, and the nation will be working and our production will be improved.”
The prime minister’s suggestion was not greeted with enthusiasm, and opposition leaders even questioned his patriotism.
“The elimination of two public holidays, which are as meaningful as Easter Monday and May 8, is a direct attack on our history, our roots, and on working France,” said National Rally leader Jordan Bardella.
A poll from French news outlet BFM TV found that 75% of respondents opposed the abolition of Easter Monday and VE Day as public holidays.