France, Aug. 8 -- French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is turning to YouTube to defend deep budget cuts aimed at bringing the country's soaring debt under control. He says France is running out of time to fix its finances and wants the public to understand what's at stake.

To make his case, Bayrou has launched a weekly YouTube show from his office at the Matignon. The series, called FB Direct, opened with an eight-minute video in which the 74-year-old addressed the camera in a white shirt and black tie.

Bayrou, 74, launched FB Direct from his office at the Matignon on Tuesday with an eight-minute address covering the challenges of the 2026 budget and the dangers of shying away from action.

"The 2026 budget is the last chance to contro...