Cost-of-living fuels crisis

Rising living costs, unaffordable housing, deteriorating public services and dissatisfaction with education are reportedly fuelling a wave of protests across Europe, with demonstrations in several countries escalating into clashes, arrests and property damage.

France, Italy and Albania have witnessed violent unrest in recent weeks, while housing activists in Spain and Portugal have established protest camps to highlight the growing difficulty of securing affordable accommodation.

Different media report said that the demonstrations, many driven by young people, reflect mounting frustration over economic insecurity and concerns about access to essential services.

They are also unfolding ahead of crucial elections in several major European Union economies, adding to political uncertainty across the continent.

“Young Europeans are experiencing a strong sense of uncertainty and a lack of control,” said María Silvestre, a sociology professor at Spain’s University of Deusto.

She said the convergence of different grievances could trigger sudden mobilisation, bringing people onto the streets to express their dissatisfaction.

The unrest comes as Europe faces broader geopolitical challenges, including uncertainty over continued support for Ukraine amid US President Donald Trump’s overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

European NATO members have also faced accusations of increasingly frequent arson attacks, cyberattacks and other acts of sabotage.

Right-wing politicians have sought to capitalise on the protests. Trump blamed immigrants for the destruction in France, writing on his Truth Social platform on Monday that migrants had taken over the country and calling for the borders to be closed quickly.

However, French authorities and police have not blamed immigrants for the violence.

While some masked groups have participated in clashes, the protests have drawn support from a broader range of people, including students and labour activists.

France, which has a long history of mass demonstrations, has experienced more than three weeks of school blockades and student protests over inadequate resources, understaffing and deteriorating school facilities, particularly in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

The movement gained momentum after the CGT labour union and other activists joined the demonstrations during the autumn school holidays.

Protesters subsequently expanded their demands to include measures to address the rising cost of living and declining public services.

Hundreds of thousands of people have participated in peaceful marches, but weekend unrest has also resulted in about 2,400 arrests, according to the report.

Looting and disturbances were reported in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux.
In Limoges, a fire engulfed the 19th-century city hall, nearly destroying the building.

Some schools were also set on fire, while clashes involving demonstrators and police left hundreds injured. Protesters threw firebombs as police responded with tear gas.

President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence, accusing far-left activists of seeking to create chaos by attacking public buildings and police.

“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 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, teachers in Madrid have begun an indefinite strike demanding better pay and working conditions. Similar walkouts have taken place in other parts of Spain this year.

Housing affordability has become a central issue in Spain, where protesters have occupied Madrid’s Puerta del Sol with tents covered in tarpaulins.

The demonstrations were triggered by the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman who later died in hospital. Protest camps have since appeared in other Spanish cities.

Public pressure prompted the Socialist government to propose affordable housing measures, but the proposals failed to secure parliamentary support.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez subsequently called an early election for November, according to the report. A general strike has also been called for November, the first in 14 years.

Similar protests have spread to Lisbon and Porto in Portugal and Barcelona in Spain, where housing shortages and the effects of overtourism have added to pressure on residents.

The figures underline the scale of the problem. Spain’s minimum monthly wage stands at 1,221 euros, while average monthly rent for an 80-square-metre apartment is around 1,130 euros, according to an analysis by business newspaper Expansión.

That leaves little room for other essential expenses for workers earning the minimum wage, particularly those living alone or supporting families.

“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 protest camp.

“This is my reality and the reality of most of us living in this city,” she added.
In Italy, the “Italia in Piazza” movement has mobilised thousands of demonstrators demanding better employment opportunities, improved healthcare and education, higher wages and greater access to housing.

Inflation rose to 4.2 per cent in September, exceeding the eurozone rate of 3.8 per cent, according to government data cited in the report.

Peaceful demonstrations were followed by violent clashes in Turin, Bologna and Milan, the country’s financial and fashion centre. Masked rioters confronted police, looted shops and set property on fire.

Milan police said 271 people had been arrested, most of them minors, while 14 security officers were injured during two days of unrest.

A newly formed group calling itself the “Oct. 17 Movement” has announced what it describes as permanent mobilisation, with demonstrations planned for 3pm every Saturday in cities across the country.

The protests have placed economic grievances, particularly those concerning wages and access to public services, at the centre of Italy’s growing social tensions.

Anti-corruption movement spreads in Albania
In Albania, anti-government demonstrations have continued for more than a week in the capital, Tirana, with clashes intensifying after high school and university students joined the broader “Flamingo” movement.

The protesters are demanding the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, with corruption, public services and social protection among their principal concerns.

Rama has accused the demonstrators of being ideologically driven and radicalised by antifa, a loosely organised movement associated with far-left activism. Trump has designated the movement a terrorist organisation in the United States.

The Albanian movement takes its name from flamingos’ natural habitat in an area where Rama’s government agreed to permit a major luxury tourism development linked to Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

Ending corruption remains a central demand, alongside calls to protect healthcare, education and public pensions, according to the movement’s website.

In Serbia, university students who have led mass anti-corruption protests for nearly two years are challenging an attempted political comeback by former populist leader Aleksandar Vucic.

Vucic, the country’s former president, is seeking to become prime minister following the October 25 parliamentary election.

A youth-backed Students’ List party is reportedly running close to his party, leaving the political contest uncertain and raising concerns about possible violence.

Across Europe, the protests have exposed a convergence of economic and political grievances. Although their immediate triggers vary, demands for affordable housing, better-funded schools, higher wages, stronger public services and accountability have become recurring themes.

With elections approaching in several countries, governments face mounting pressure to respond to citizens’ concerns while containing violence and maintaining public order.