Anyone who thinks that the protests taking place in the streets of European cities are merely passing demands movements, or reactions to specific government decisions, is mistaken. The demands related to improving educational conditions, providing affordable housing, and raising wages are an expression of a wave of anger and rejection led by a young generation that feels that its present and future are lower than the past of its fathers, and believes that the promises on which European societies were based regarding social progress, justice, and equal opportunities have not and will not be fulfilled.
From France to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece, through Belgium, Germany, Albania and Serbia, there are many reasons to take to the streets, but they are united by a growing crisis of confidence between young people and the political and economic institutions that are supposed to represent their interests and provide them with better opportunities. In other words, what is happening is a confrontation between a generation that does not want to inherit the same burdens that previous generations accumulated, and systems that seem unable to provide convincing answers to its questions.
From the demands of education to a comprehensive social crisis
In France, the protests of school and university students emerged as one of the most prominent manifestations of this wave, as demands related to education quickly exceeded the boundaries of the educational sector, intersecting with other social and economic issues, turning educational institutions into a starting point for broader movements in which different sectors of society participated in confronting the authorities.
The impact of these movements was not limited to France, but extended to other European countries. In Greece, thousands of students and teachers took to the streets, demanding free public education. In Italy, students were inspired by the actions of their French counterparts, as students occupied a high school in Rome on October 7, stressing in a statement that their move follows the example of what is happening in France.
These scenes reflect the movement of the protest from its local context to a common European space, in which student unions exchange experiences and methods of organization, and where protest movements unite in slogans. This is not surprising because the challenges are the same, foremost of which is investing in schools, universities, the future of young people, and addressing the costs of living and the housing crisis.
Housing...the most difficult test for youth independence
If education represents the gateway to protest, then housing appears to be one of the files most capable of unifying popular anger. In Spain, the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home sparked movements linked to the housing crisis and rising rents, the repercussions of which extended to neighboring Portugal.
In Italy, the housing crisis has become directly linked to students' ability to pursue their university education. The high rents in major cities, especially Rome, force some of them to share small rooms or live far from universities, which adds financial burdens to their educational path.
In fact, the issue goes beyond the concept of housing, despite it being a basic need, to become a condition for economic and social independence. A university degree, which in previous generations represented an almost guaranteed path to stability and an improved standard of living, is no longer sufficient to guarantee a good job and a stable future.
Troubled labor markets and a generation that feels victimized
It is worth looking at what Europe is witnessing from the standpoint of its entire geopolitical and geoeconomic reality, which is in crisis due to the disintegration of the peace system that followed World War II, and later the end of the Cold War with the fall of the socialist camp.
All developments have led to the fact that young people are today entering a market in which precarious and unstable jobs are increasing, and in which the ability of educational attainment alone to provide economic and social protection is declining. In addition to this, the expansion of the use of artificial intelligence raises fears of a decrease in job opportunities for beginners, which are jobs that usually constitute the professional starting point for new graduates.
At the same time, the climate change crisis imposes itself on the accounts of this generation, which believes that it must face the consequences of economic and political choices that it was not a party to making. Environmental burdens, public debts, and the costs of economic transformation appear to be part of a heavy legacy that is passed on from one generation to another.
French historian Sylvain Pollock describes this feeling as a feeling among young people that they are a generation that has been sacrificed, and that they must confront environmental problems and debts left by previous generations.
This academic, who specializes in communist and leftist movements in general, calls for a deep dialogue between youth and the authorities with the aim of developing a comprehensive vision for solving the problem.
From social protest to political challenge
What is important is that these movements took on a political dimension as they moved from sectoral demands to objection to governments and state institutions. In Albania, student protests began against the backdrop of a luxury real estate development project supported by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, before intertwining with a broader movement to combat corruption and demand a change in government.
In Serbia, student-led protests over the past two years turned into fierce opposition to President Aleksandar Vucic, which finally led to his overthrow.
In France, trade unions, farmers, and the “yellow vest” movement joined the student movements, in a scene that reflects the overlap of social demands between different age and professional groups. Italy's protests also showed that rising fuel prices and production costs can put truck drivers and farmers in the same protest trenches as students.
Although not all governments deal with these movements in the same way, the basic question remains: Why are the same demands repeated in countries with different governments and economic conditions?
Resource crisis or confidence crisis?
European countries witnessing protest movements are facing great financial pressures, including high levels of public debt and borrowing costs, which limits their ability to increase spending on education, public services, and housing.
However, explaining the protests by a lack of resources alone is not enough. The problem is also related to the distribution of wealth and opportunities, and the feeling of large segments of young people that members of affluent families have better opportunities, while those from more fragile economic backgrounds face increasing difficulties in obtaining education, work, and housing.
Thus, the economic gap turns into a political and social gap, and citizens increasingly feel that their voices do not reach decision-makers. When the feeling of being ignored is repeated, the distance between society and the state widens, and the streets become one of the few means available to express rejection.
The bottom line is that Europe is not witnessing a traditional wave of youth protests, but rather is facing a test of the quality of its social contract and its ability to continue. Generation Z not only demands better schools, lower rents, and more stable jobs, but also asks what the promises of democracy mean if they fail to give them the opportunity to build an independent life.
The most dangerous thing is that this generation not only fears poverty, but also fears the lack of certainty: to study without finding work, to work without being able to live, and to bear the burdens of crises of its own making. When the future itself becomes a source of concern, the question is no longer how to contain the protests, but rather how to restore the confidence that brought young people to the streets.
