Europe's Autumn of Unrest: Protests Erupt From France to Albania

Europe is experiencing widespread social unrest this autumn, with protests erupting across France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Albania over fuel costs, education, public services, and housing, leading to arrests, looting, and injuries. In France, high schoolers have protested for weeks over underfunded schools, with weekend unrest resulting in 2,400 arrests and fires, including at Limoges City Hall. Spain and Portugal face housing protests, with Madrid encampments and a planned November strike, while Italy’s inflation-driven marches turned violent in Milan, Turin, and Bologna. Albania’s anti-corruption protests continue in Tirana, joined by students, and Serbia faces uncertain elections as youth-led movements challenge populist leader Aleksandar Vucic. Far-right parties are gaining ground, and right-wing politicians, including President Donald Trump, have blamed immigrants for the chaos, though French authorities have not.