Europe's Political Center Crumbles as Middle-Class Anger Fuels Extremes

Europe's political center is collapsing as economic stagnation, high inflation, and inequality push frustrated citizens toward far-right and far-left parties. Mainstream centrist parties are losing support across major countries, threatening democratic stability. In France, mass riots over school underfunding have boosted far-right leader Marine Le Pen and far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Germany's traditional parties, the CDU and SPD, are weakening, with the far-right AfD leading polls at 28%. Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu blames elites for abandoning the working class. Dissatisfaction with democracy is high: 69% in France, 68% in Spain, and 62% in Italy. Upcoming elections in Spain, France, Italy, and Poland could fragment governments, with far-right parties potentially holding systemic forces hostage. A Le Pen victory in France's spring presidential election could disrupt the EU, euro, NATO, and Ukraine support.