WorldDemonstrators have taken to the streets from France and Spain to Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Though the protests have different triggers, many reflect shared discontent over living costs, housing and public services. With elections approaching, governments face mounting pressure to respond.
WorldPeople have taken to the streets from France and Spain to Italy and elsewhere in Europe, protesting over rising living costs, housing, public services and other frustrations. With elections approaching, governments face mounting pressure to respond.
EconomyWith winter approaching, European natural gas prices rose above €100 per megawatt hour, their highest level since 2022. The EU says it is not worried about supply despite storage being 72% full, but warns households of a “difficult” season. The programme also notes UK efforts to cushion high energy bills and 200 passengers stranded in Cambodia after a cruise was cancelled over fuel costs.
EconomyEurope’s benchmark gas price rose above €100 per megawatt-hour on Wednesday afternoon, the first time since the 2022 energy crisis. Hours earlier, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen warned that Europe faces “another energy crisis” and a difficult winter.
SocietyAnger is spreading across Europe this autumn. Student protests over crowded classrooms and teacher shortages in France have expanded into broader public outcry, while separate demonstrations have erupted in Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Albania. Grievances range from unaffordable housing and low wages to fuel costs, education and political accountability, but share a sense of paying more, getting less and struggling to afford a decent life.
EconomyFrench President Emmanuel Macron told reporters in Doha that Paris had secured two terawatt-hours of gas per month from Qatar during the winter period.
EconomyFrench President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he had secured an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Speaking in Doha during his Gulf tour, he said France was reducing its dependency.
PoliticsEU Commissioner Jozef Síkela said US companies would receive no preferential treatment in Greenland and that coal, gas and oil should remain underground. His remarks came as the EU unveiled a new Arctic strategy amid Donald Trump’s claim of “massive” drilling in Greenland.
PoliticsEuropean Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela says the EU will continue to oppose drilling for natural resources, including oil and gas, in the Arctic, despite the different approaches taken by the US and Norway.
WorldRising fuel costs, dissatisfaction with schools, declining public services and a housing crisis are driving a wave of autumn protests across Europe. Major cities in France, Spain, Italy and Albania have seen demonstrations for weeks, some involving arrests, looting, injuries and violence.
The Associated Press
WorldRising fuel prices, dissatisfaction with education, deteriorating public services and a deepening housing crisis are fuelling protests across Europe. In Albania, anti-government rallies have reached their eighth day, with protesters calling for the prime minister to resign. Global Policy Institute senior research fellow Jacques Reland weighs in.
PoliticsSurging fuel prices are squeezing household budgets and businesses across Europe. Cost-of-living pressures are driving unrest and giving far-right parties fresh momentum ahead of next year’s elections in countries including France, Germany and Italy.
Reuters
EconomyThe French presidency said Macron secured an additional 200,000 tonnes of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. He is touring key Gulf energy suppliers to obtain oil and diesel and lower prices in France, following violent protests over soaring living costs.
PoliticsFrench President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day Gulf tour on Monday to secure oil and diesel supplies and bring down prices, following violent weekend protests sparked by soaring living costs. He arrived in Kuwait hours after condemning France’s “unbridled” violence in a Sunday address and was welcomed by Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
WorldYoung people and police clashed in Milan for a second straight day on Sunday, with at least 200 arrests during protests over the cost of living. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called a security meeting for Monday to address the violence, which recalled scenes of chaos and looting in Paris.
PoliticsFrench President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Kuwait to begin a three-day tour of Gulf countries. He is the first French president to visit Kuwait in more than 17 years. Talks are expected to cover defence and infrastructure, while visits to the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar will include discussions on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
PoliticsA Kuwait meeting on Monday brought together French President Emmanuel Macron and Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Their agenda ranged from France-Kuwait relations and regional conditions to energy security and free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Associated Press
SocietyPeople in Portugal are protesting the cost of living and the housing crisis. The demonstrations come after major cost-of-living protests in France turned violent on Saturday, with protesters clashing with riot police.
EconomyDiesel prices are surging despite a pullback in crude, as tight refining capacity, lower Russian output and Middle East refinery outages disrupt global supply. With US plants near capacity, elevated diesel costs could keep inflation in freight, food and goods higher for longer.
Bloomberg Television
SocietyDemonstrators took to the streets in Portugal over rising living costs and housing prices. An Instagram account that appeared linked to the protests and had promoted the demonstrations said people had been squeezed by higher housing prices and living costs for years.
EconomyThe EU's Valdis Dombrovskis is addressing the media following a conversation among euro-area finance ministers about costly energy.
Reuters
EconomyThe Iran war has disrupted global energy markets, fueled supply concerns and driven prices higher. FT writers explore whether it has created a new normal, prompting governments to reconsider energy security, diversify supplies and rethink alliances.
Financial Times
EconomyHigh energy prices continue to fuel inflation and voter anger around the world. With more crude moving through the Strait of Hormuz and governments releasing additional emergency fuel stockpiles, the question is how long the squeeze will persist.
EconomyFuel prices across the EU are raising alarm, with diesel averaging well above €2 per litre compared with about €1.50 in October last year. As the cost-of-living squeeze was already hurting, the Middle East conflict could leave Europeans with little respite as winter approaches. EU countries are reviewing measures to cushion households from higher energy costs.