More than 3,600 demonstrations swept across Europe in the first 19 days of October, ACLED, the nonprofit that tracks protests and political violence worldwide, reported. France accounted for more than half of them and 90% of events classified as riots. A POLITICO Europe newsletter cited the figures and warned that living costs, fuel prices and youth discontent could fuel a cycle of unrest across the European Union this fall and winter.
The Cost of Living Hits the Streets
In southern Italy, truckers' blockades over fuel prices are growing in scale and intensity. Supermarket shelves and gas pumps are empty. Fuel isn't reaching airports. The supply problems are real, and they're spreading.
After a Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed to use a security decree to dismantle the roadblocks and provide aid against expensive diesel. Her government, she said, wouldn't be "blackmailed by those who use violence as an instrument of pressure." She added: "Those who want to work must be able to do it, and the state must guarantee it." Farmers and fishermen will also receive financial support for diesel. Further protests are called in eight cities for Saturday. In recent years, her government has introduced a series of measures to crack down on protests, and the decree is one of them.
Housing and schools are driving pressure elsewhere. In Spain, an acute crisis over unaffordable property has brought thousands into the streets in recent weeks, with the first general strike in 15 years scheduled for Nov. 11. In Greece, thousands of students and teachers marched the previous day, demanding more education funding, safe school buildings and affordable housing. Some carried banners in French. Alexis Tsipras, former prime minister and leader of the newly formed Elas party, said: "The message is coming through loud and clear from France and beyond."
The Ballot Box Awaits
Every country discussed that has seen protests heads to the polls in the coming months, beginning with Spain on Nov. 29. POLITICO described concern about economic insecurity and polarised politics shaping those campaigns, with populist parties expected to benefit from public anger. Experts warn that energy prices will likely rise over the winter, putting pressure on household budgets. Carsten Brzeski, ING's global head of macro research, said: "There is an issue that is now voiced more loudly in France, but it is very similar to the situation in other European countries."
Borders and Sovereign Choices
Italy and Spain will end mutual border checks at airports and ports, the newsletter reported. The countries introduced them in August after the migrant crisis in Ceuta. Meloni and Spain's Pedro Sánchez agreed Thursday morning to lift the restrictions on Oct. 23. The two capitals reached a bilateral arrangement on border controls without waiting for Brussels to broker it.
National governments are also turning to their own tools elsewhere. Portugal's Defense Minister Nuno Melo announced a voluntary armed forces program to boost recruitment, set to launch in 2027. Participants will receive €439 and free driving lessons for three to six weeks of service. Greece was due to vote on legislation banning children under 15 from social media from Jan. 1, 2027. State Minister Akis Skertsos said: "We need to move from individual responsibility on the part of parents and children toward corporate responsibility and state regulation." The bill says the national rules lapse once a European regulation on the same issue takes effect. In August, a French court blocked similar legislation by Macron.
Other Developments
Britain plans to increase gas pipeline imports from continental Europe over winter, amid concerns that it might not be able to supply all customers in an emergency. Poland has reportedly paused talks on a €125 million loan to Ukraine after the Lviv regional council announced plans to honour the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, though Warsaw hasn't confirmed the pause. France's Pierre Moscovici resigned from the European Court of Auditors after less than 10 months of a six-year mandate, saying he wanted to contribute to French political debate ahead of the presidential election.
Why This Matters:
The protests share a common thread: citizens who feel the state isn't delivering on basic promises, from affordable fuel and housing to functioning schools. Governments face elections within months, and the pressure falls on national capitals, not Brussels. Meloni's pledge that the state must guarantee the right to work shows how quickly order and economic security merge into a single political demand. Energy prices are expected to rise further this winter, narrowing the room for fiscal support when public finances are already stretched. From a centre-right perspective, the lesson is practical: governments that can't show competence on cost of living and public order hand the field to populists. Subsidiarity cuts both ways: member states now carry responsibility for the answers.
- european protests
- fuel prices
- france
- italy
- greece
- social media ban
- abortion rights
- poland