For several weeks, the idea of the first of May as a nonworking public holiday for all workers has been contested in France. After well over a century at the center of the international workers’ movement calendar, it took an effort by trade unions to defeat a draft law allowing bakeries, pastry shops, and independent florists to open during the holiday.

Marylise Léon, head of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), objected to the idea “that people should always have to work more, even on the very day that symbolizes the rights won by the working world.” And Sophie Binet, the head of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), pointed out that if the law were passed, it “would make it possible to have at least 1.4 million more workers working on May 1.” The mobilization proved effective, and Sébastien Lecornu’s government did not end up introducing the bill. But the fact that it was even such a live debate in France tells us something important about the political winds in the country.