Students, teachers and young workers have taken to the streets in multiple European countries, voicing frustration over living costs, housing, education and corruption. The unrest comes as the European Union approaches pivotal elections and as far-right parties gain ground in Germany and elsewhere, while the bloc faces a critical moment in its support for Ukraine.
In France, high schoolers have staged blockades and demonstrations for more than three weeks, demanding more resources for schools they describe as understaffed and dilapidated, especially in lower-income neighbourhoods. The protests broadened as France's CGT labour union and other activists joined in. Despite hundreds of thousands marching peacefully, weekend unrest led to 2,400 arrests and serious disturbances, including looting in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. In Limoges, flames engulfed the 19th-century City Hall. Some schools were set on fire. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence, accusing far-left activists of trying to foment chaos. "Those who looted will have to pay for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable," Macron said in a televised address.
In Spain, elementary and secondary schoolteachers began an indefinite strike in Madrid last week, demanding better pay and conditions. Tarpaulin tents have blanketed Madrid's central Puerta del Sol for weeks to protest rising housing costs, sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman who later died. The public pressure led the Socialist government to approve affordable housing measures, but a lack of parliamentary support prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call an early election for November. A general strike has also been called, the first in 14 years. Similar housing protests have sprung up in Portugal's Lisbon and Porto, and in Barcelona. "Most of my paycheck goes to the rent. My roommate struggles to make ends meet just like I do," said Diana Manzanares, a 20-year-old waitress at the Madrid encampment. "This is my reality and the reality of most of us living in this city."
In Italy, the "Italia in Piazza" movement has drawn thousands demanding better employment, healthcare, education and housing, as well as higher wages. Inflation in Italy rose to 4.2 per cent in September, above the eurozone's 3.8 per cent. Peaceful marches were followed by violent riots in Turin, Bologna and Milan, where masked rioters clashed with police and looted stores. Milan police said 271 people were arrested, most of them minors, and 14 security officers were injured. A new group calling itself the "Oct. 17 Movement" has announced a "permanent mobilization" to demonstrate every Saturday.
In Albania, anti-government protests have stretched over a week in Tirana, with high school and university students joining the "Flamingo" movement calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. Ending corruption is a major demand, along with protections for healthcare, education and public pensions. In Serbia, university students leading mass anti-corruption protests for nearly two years are challenging former populist leader Aleksandar Vucic in parliamentary elections set for October 25.
María Silvestre, professor of sociology at the University of Deusto in Spain, described the mood among young Europeans: "A strong sense of uncertainty and a lack of control. And when specific situations come together, a spark suddenly ignites that is capable of channeling that discontent and driving people into the streets."