In Romania, protesters blew horns and drums to demonstrate their discontent at the rising cost of living. Citizens took to the streets in France to demand wage increases consistent with inflation. Czech nonconformists protested against government management in the energy crisis. British railway personnel and German pilots went on strike to claim higher wages in the face of rising prices.
Across Europe, the increase in inflation caused a wave of protests and strikes that highlight the growing discontent with the escalation of the cost of living and threaten to unleash political instability. After the Prime Minister of Great Britain was forced to resign after less than two months in office, After their economic plans caused chaos in the financial markets and further damaged a weakened economy, the risk to political leaders is evident as the population demands action.
Europeans have seen energy bills and food prices skyrocketed over Russia’s war in Ukraine. Although the price of natural gas fell from the all-time highs reached in the summer and governments have allocated the not inconsiderable amount of 576,000 million euros to energy aid for households and companies Since September 2021, this is not enough for some protesters.
The price of energy has pushed inflation up in the 19 countries that have the euro as their currency to a record 9.9 percent, which means that people can acquire what they need. Some see no choice but to go outside. “ Today, people are forced to employ pressure tactics to achieve a salary ” increase, said Rachid Ouchem, a doctor who was among the more than 100,000 people who protested this week in multiple French cities.
The consequences of the war in Ukraine have significantly increased the risk of civil unrest on the continent, according to risk consultant Verisk Maplecroft. European leaders have strongly supported Ukraine by sending weapons and promising, or being forced, to leave Russian oil and natural gas cheaper, but the transition has not been easy and threatens to erode public support.
“ This energy crisis does not have a quick solution ”, said Torbjorn Soltvedt, analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. “ And, in any case, inflation seems to be worse next year than this has been ”. This means that the relationship between economic pressure and popular opinion about the war in Ukraine “ will really be tested ”, he added.
In France, which has the lowest inflation in the eurozone with 6.2 percent, rail and transport workers, high school teachers and hospital employees called on an oil workers union on Tuesday to demand wage increases and protest government intervention in strikes by oil workers refineries that have caused a shortage of gasoline.
Days later, thousands of Romanians protested in Bucharest against the price of energy, food and other basic products that, according to the organizers, it is plunging millions of workers into poverty.
In the Czech Republic capital Prague, a crowd last month demanded the resignation of the pro-western governing coalition, criticizing its support for the European Union’s sanctions on Russia. In addition, they told the executive for not doing enough to help households and companies affected by the energy rise.
Although there is another protest called in Prague for next week, At the moment, the mobilizations have not translated into political changes and the coalition won a third of the seats in the upper house of Parliament in this month’s elections.
In Great Britain, railway employees, nurses, port workers and lawyers, among other groups, have starred in a series of strikes in recent months to demand a rise in wages that adjusts them to inflation that reaches 10.1 percent, his worst data in 40 years.
Trains did not run during protests and recent strikes by Lufthansa pilots in Germany and by workers from other airlines and airports across the continent for salary improvements, have paralyzed air traffic.
Truss’ failed economic stimulus plan, which included extensive tax breaks and multi-million dollar aid to the energy bill of households and businesses, without a clear plan to subsidize them, They illustrate the complicated situation in which governments find themselves. “ They have very little room for maneuver ”, Soltvedt said.
The luck has been that, until now, the month of October is being softer than usual, which means less demand for fuel to heat homes, said the analyst. But “ if an unexpected interruption in gas supply from Europe occurs this winter, we are likely to see a further increase in civil unrest, risk and government instability ”, said.
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