The European website Politico predicted that the wave of protests in EU countries would escalate as winter approaches, asserting that there are objective reasons for this.
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The website stated: "It is not only France that is ablaze. The European Union is entering a cycle of serious unrest across its borders this fall and winter, as rising living costs and fuel prices coincide with growing youth discontent in many countries."
Politico reported that major EU countries will hold a series of parliamentary and presidential elections over the next nine months, beginning with Spain in November. The report suggested that street protests are likely to escalate in the lead-up to these elections, potentially complicating election preparations.
The website noted that Italy is emerging as a major hotspot of tension, as truck drivers' protests over rising fuel prices widen in the south of the country, describing the situation as a "serious crisis" for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government.
Meloni pledged to end the road closures and introduce a package of measures to ease the burden of rising diesel prices, while Politico reported that new protests are planned in eight cities on October 24.
In France, last weekend's unrest resulted in the arrest of about 2,400 people, according to Reuters, with riots reported in Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux, and a fire breaking out in the historic Limoges town hall .
In Italy, authorities announced the arrest of 271 people over two days and the injury of 14 security personnel.
In Spain, protests are focused on the housing crisis, with a protest camp set up in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square. Unions have called for a general strike in November, the first in 14 years. On October 21, Athens and other Greek cities also saw marches by thousands of students and teachers protesting the high cost of living.
