Hot Times in Europe this October

Le Monde English recently published a story summarizing protests in France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. (1) They included this photo that probably was not selected for its intrinsic news value:

Sebastian Kurz, the smarmy rightwing former Chancellor of Austria who is now part of TechBro oligarch Peter Thiel’s stable of wholly-owned politicians that includes J.D. Vance, in a Facebook post blames the current student protests in France on immigrants and especially them thar’ Muslims. The video he features there is what you would get if you told AI to create a scene that would excite xenophobic white folks.

France has been known for its periodic mass protests since, oh, 1789 or so.

John Mearsheimer starts off this interview commenting on the French protests and reminiscing about the time he got tear-gassed during one of them in 2018. (2)

Near the end of that video, we also see a clip of Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting that Hamas is behind the demonstrations in France: “And let me tell you, if we don’t stop Hamas here, if we don’t dismantle Hamas in Gaza, you’re see them on the streets of Paris. And that’s exactly what is happening right now.” I’m sure we all look forward to seeing dozens and dozens of Hamas members demonstrating in Paris for more school funding in France.

The focus of the recent protests in France has been around the longterm neglect of the public school system as a result of the austerity economic policies followed by far too many of the EU leaders, including conservative French President Emmanuel Macron. Rightwingers like Kurz, of course, tend to take a hostile stance toward popular protests and jump at the chance to blame any vandalism or violence on “the left.” Which in the rightwing imagination in the West these days, includes Muslim fundamentalists whose ideology tends to be rightwing by most normal measures. Le Monde reports:

In Brussels, in a rare move, the European Commission – which is usually silent on the domestic policies of EU member states – commented on Monday, October 19, on the protests that took place in France on Saturday and especially on the violence that accompanied them.

Through its spokesperson, the European Commission condemned the looting, calling it "unacceptable," and reminded Paris that the right to peaceful protest "must be protected." In the European Parliament, the center-right European People's Party (EPP) and the far right quickly sought to politicize the issue by organizing a debate on Monday evening in Strasbourg, whose title sparked controversy within the chamber: "France, Italy, Belgium: Anti-democratic violence and destruction perpetrated by far-left groups." [emphasis added]

This is all taking place in the context of far-right groups like Germany’s AfD (Alternative for Germany) stressing immigration in particular as a menace. In the European parliamentary systems, the far right can’t take national power without the cooperation of the traditional conservative parties, i.e., the “center-right” EPP parties. Many conservative parties have tried to pander to xenophobic themes to compete with the right. The results have been remarkably consistent in Britain, France, Italy and other countries: it strengthens the far right parties.

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s ruling far-right party has distinguished itself from ones like the AfD by not embracing a particular Russia-friendly in its foreign policy orientation. But she’s willing to engage in rightwing demagoguery on other issues:

In Rome, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held an emergency security council meeting on Monday afternoon to assess the situation after the weekend's riots and looting. On Sunday, she took to social media to denounce the "gangs of thugs" who "set cities ablaze," such as Milan, where clashes broke out between youths and the police, and where 271 rioters were arrested, including 220 minors – scenes of "urban guerrilla warfare," according to RAI, the public broadcaster. …

This toxic social climate came to a head on Saturday in Rome, where the CGIL, the country's largest labor union, brought together nearly 100,000 people, joined by opposition leaders including Elly Schlein of the center-left Partito Democratico and Giuseppe Conte of the populist Movimento 5 Stelle. Maurizio Landini, secretary general of the Confédération générale italienne du travail (CGIL), called for a general strike on November 20. [my emphasis] (Le Monde)

In other words, it’s a broad-based protest movement. And Meloni is willing to indulge in Trump-style demagoguery with her talk of cities set ablaze. Does Netanyahu also blame the Italian protests on Hamas? Inquiring minds want to know.

On an anecdotal note, some of my acquaintances are currently touring in Italy including Rome. They are visiting interesting churches and other famous tourist sites. Somehow, they seem not to have noticed the “cities ablaze” that Meloni cited.

Belgium: Protests over schools and general austerity measures. Spain: Protests for the last three weeks demanding better access to housing and more adequate funding for schools. Portugal: Protests over inadequate housing.

These protests are about real issues that are a product of chronic conservative austerity policies heavily favored by the European economic establishments.

Notes:

(1) Italy, Spain, Belgium, Portugal: Social unrest spreads across Europe amid soaring energy prices and a housing crisis. Le Monde English 10/20/2026. <https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/10/20/italy-spain-belgium-portugal-social-unrest-spreads-across-europe-amid-soaring-energy-prices-and-a-housing-crisis_6759435_4.html> (Accessed: 2026-20-10).

(2) Prof. John Mearsheimer: Has Trump Found an Iran Exit? Judge Napolitano YouTube channel 10/20/2026. <https://www.youtube.com/live/cgKmBQSbvOw?si=uQ9NQG4OdD0LKD_S&t=154> (Accessed: 2026-20-10).