They’re calling it Europe’s “Angry Autumn.”
Multiple countries on the continent are contending with an outburst of protests, often led by young people and, in some cases, turning violent. While each of these protests have its own distinct motivating factors, they’re all connected by a shared sense of discontent with living conditions and distrust that the governments in power will do anything to make life better. Here’s a rundown of what’s happening and where — excluding France, which we wrote about in depth a couple of weeks ago (and the government enacted a ban on "Illegitimate protests”).
🇦🇱 Albania. Protests first broke out across Albania earlier this year in response to the government fast-tracking the development of a luxury resort on Sazan Island, allegedly eschewing proper environmental precautions in the process. To make things even more controversial, the resort is backed by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Dubbed the Flamingo Revolution — taking its name from the greater flamingo that lives in the nation’s protected wetlands — the protests expanded to be about government corruption writ large, as well as concerns over the cost of living and poor university conditions. Over the past several weeks, protesters have demanded that Prime Minister Edi Rama step down, as protesters and law enforcement have clashed in the capital city of Tirana. For his part, Rama is refusing to resign and has tried to claim that the protests have been co-opted by groups who are mad about Albania’s goals of attaining EU membership.
🇧🇪 Belgium. Belgium’s protests started as an outgrowth of France’s education protests, with students in the country taking to the streets in solidarity with their Gallic brethren. Belgian students too have a lot to be upset about — in particular recent austerity measures adopted by the federation responsible for French-language education in the country. Seeking to find €500 million in savings by 2029, the federation plans to eliminate 1,300 teaching positions and make the teachers who remain work more without a pay bump. Other plans include raising student fees, cutting free school meals, and halving school supplies funding. The protests have expanded to include broader cost-of-living-concerns, with clashes breaking out in the streets of cities like Brussels and Liège, leading to hundreds of arrests.
🇮🇹 Italy. Inflation woes, concerns over education, and anti-war sentiments are the top driving factors of protests in Italy. While they have broken out across several cities, the nation’s financial capital, Milan, has been in the headlines for looting and particularly violent clashes between police and certain segments of protesters. The Italian government responded by passing a raft of anti-protest measures that included deploying 500 troops to Milan by the end of the year, increasing surveillance, making parents financially liable for any damages their children cause during protests, and introducing a new offence for “violent participation in public demonstrations.”
🇪🇸 🇵🇹 Spain and Portugal. Housing has been at the centre of protests in the two Iberian nations, with rents continuing to climb amid overtourism in major city centres. In Spain, Madrid has been the focal point, with protest camps set up in the city centre — a move sparked by the eviction and subsequent death of an 87-year-old woman. These protests actually did lead Spain’s ruling party to put forward new housing measures, which subsequently died in parliament. In response, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap election for next month. Adding to the pressure is an ongoing teachers’ strike in Madrid and the threat of a 24-hour general strike next month orchestrated by Spain’s two biggest unions.
