Unrest, Strikes, Constitutional Crises: Europe Enters a Turbulent Autumn

This autumn, Europe appears to be slipping into widespread disorder.

The European public is awakening.

From Western Europe—France, Belgium—to Southern Europe—Italy, Spain, Portugal—and into Central and Eastern Europe—Poland, the Czech Republic, Serbia—the waves of protest roll one after another, with no end in sight.

France has become the epicenter of European instability.

President Emmanuel Macron’s approval rating stands at less than one-third of Donald Trump’s. Trade unions and the “Yellow Vest” movement are preparing for large-scale demonstrations on November 5, as Paris risks reliving the turbulence of the revolutionary era.

Germany may soon match France in unrest, emerging as another engine of upheaval. More than 160,000 people plan to gather in 34 cities across the country, protesting rising prices, economic stagnation, and resistance among youth to mandatory military service.

Southern Europe is not spared. Housing shortages have become the central issue behind protests in Spain and Portugal.

Eastern Europe faces deeper constitutional crises and electoral confrontations.

In Poland, an attempted political overhaul targets a constitutional court deemed too “sovereignty-oriented.”

In Serbia, the resignation of a government official following a railway accident has evolved into a broader challenge to the country’s governance model.

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Though these disturbances appear isolated and fragmented, their roots lie in shared pressures: soaring living costs, inadequate education investment, housing crises, and constitutional conflicts.

More concretely, high energy prices have served as the primary catalyst for unrest across the continent.

Energy prices in the eurozone have risen 18.9% year-on-year; overall inflation has reached 3.8%, while food prices have surged 34% since 2021.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged that over the past eight months, due to the Iran conflict alone, Europeans—both businesses and households—have paid more than 100 billion euros in additional energy costs.

That figure does not include expenditures directed toward Ukraine.

Such sums could renovate Germany’s aging railway stations three times over—or halve electricity bills for European households.

Constrained fiscal space prevents governments from addressing demands without cutting public services or social benefits. Yet such cuts risk intensifying protests, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of discontent.

Deeper still lies a political reckoning. As the saying goes, excess inevitably leads to reversal.

According to Pew Research, 69% of French, 68% of Spanish, and 62% of Italian respondents expressed dissatisfaction with current governance models. This has fueled the rise of both far-right and far-left movements.

Marine Le Pen appears poised to capitalize on this shift. In Germany, the AfD and the Left Party are gaining traction. In Italy, Giorgia Meloni faces mounting challenges from even more right-wing factions.

Merz downplayed the Iran conflict as a distraction, suggesting that decoupling from China would not carry significant consequences—a remark that carries little weight given the actual economic interdependence.

And Ukraine remains a bleeding wound. With resources drained continuously, stability cannot be expected.

Five years of prolonged crisis have tested even the most enduring patience.

Actions taken are visible to all.

Protests Erupt Across Multiple European Countries

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1880166334253132/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of any institution.