Cost of living protests in Europe

From France to Italy, Albania, Spain and Belgium, growing numbers of Europeans are taking to the streets to protest soaring living costs, unaffordable housing, overstretched public services and austerity policies.

In France, protests initially sparked by concerns over education have evolved into a broader challenge to the government, with clashes and arrests raising renewed questions about the authorities’ response to mounting public discontent. Across the continent, surging energy and food prices are further squeezing household budgets and deepening economic hardship.

Are these protests isolated national disputes or signs of a deeper crisis within Europe’s economic and political model? And as governments respond to growing social unrest with policing and spending cuts, are they tackling its root causes or further fueling public anger? That’s the focus of this edition of Spotlight.