Thousands of people across Europe protested over the weekend against rising living costs, unaffordable housing, low wages and strained public services. In France, hundreds of thousands joined demonstrations, but some turned into looting and rioting that damaged about 1,500 shops, with the Retail and Trade Federation estimating costs of “several hundreds of millions of euros” and President Emmanuel Macron vowing to hold those responsible to account. Police clashed with demonstrators in Belgium, while Italy saw clashes in Milan, Turin and Bologna, and Portugal’s unions called for higher wages, better pensions and affordable housing. Eurostat data analysed by Euronews Business shows EU food prices rose 34% between August 2021 and August 2026, and the food a minimum wage could buy fell 6% in Malta, 5% in Spain and 4% in France. The comparison excludes taxes, rent and other household costs.
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Related tickers and likely impact
EUR/USD
• NeutralRelevance: low
| Market | Currencies |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/16/2026 | 1.12393 |
| Change that session | +0.16% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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- World Insights : Cost - of - living anger fuels protests across Europe amid deepening social - economic strains - Xinhua
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across several European cities over the weekend to protest rising living costs, housing shortages and strained public services. In France, some 550,000 people joined nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, which quickly turned violent, leaving 997 police officers and gendarmes injured, seven seriously, and 2,397 people arrested nationwide. In Milan, Italy, protesters threw firecrackers and bottles at police, injuring at least four officers and 20 demonstrators, with about 50 detained. Clashes also broke out in Brussels, and tens of thousands marched in Portuguese cities demanding affordable housing. Analysts warn that failing to address these hardships risks further eroding public trust and deepening social divisions.
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Violent protests against the cost of living, education standards and Emmanuel Macron's government spread across France and Europe on Saturday, with a video showing a shopkeeper pleading with looters in vain. In France, more than 1,200 people were arrested as roughly 550,000 people took to the streets, and the historic Limoges Town Hall, built in 1883 and having survived both world wars, was torched and collapsed. Copycat protests in Italy saw clashes with police in Milan, tear gas near the Duomo, shuttered shops and several injuries and arrests, while several hundred students protested in Brussels over rising education costs. In France, protesters hurled baguettes at riot police in Paris, a Lyon tourist office and cars were set on fire, and looters stormed the Galeries Lafayette in Bordeaux. Sixty officers were injured, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the authorities would not be intimidated and that those responsible should pay for the damage.
- World Insights : Cost - of - living anger fuels protests across Europe amid deepening social - economic strains - Xinhua
Tens of thousands of people across major European cities protested over the weekend against rising living costs, housing shortages and strained public services. In France, about 550,000 people joined nationwide demonstrations on Saturday that turned violent, with 997 police officers and gendarmes injured, seven of them seriously, and 2,397 people arrested. Clashes also broke out in Milan and Brussels, with about 50 demonstrators detained in Milan, while tens of thousands rallied in Portugal demanding affordable housing. European leaders condemned the violence, and a Eurofound senior research manager said the benefits of macroeconomic stability are failing to reach the bottom half of the income distribution.
- Cost - of - living anger fuels protests across Europe amid deepening social - economic strains
Tens of thousands of people marched across European cities over the weekend, protesting surging living costs, housing shortages and strained public services. In France, about 550,000 people joined nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, and clashes left 997 police officers and gendarmes injured and 2,397 people arrested. In Milan, four officers and 20 protesters were hurt and about 50 people were detained, Brussels saw clashes, and tens of thousands in Portugal demanded affordable housing. French President Macron and Italian Prime Minister Meloni condemned the violence and vowed to prosecute those responsible. Eurofound's Eszter Sandor warned that the benefits of macroeconomic stability are not reaching the bottom half of the income distribution, eroding trust in governments.
- World Insights : Cost - of - living anger fuels protests across Europe amid deepening social - economic strains
Tens of thousands of people rallied across major European cities over the weekend against rising living costs, housing shortages and strained public services. In France, nationwide protests on Saturday drew about 550,000 people and turned violent, with 997 police and gendarmes injured and 2,397 people arrested. In Milan, protesters threw firecrackers and bottles at police, leaving at least four officers and 20 protesters hurt, while clashes also broke out in Brussels and tens of thousands in Portugal demanded affordable housing in Lisbon and Porto. Leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the violence. Eszter Sandor, a senior research manager at Eurofound, warned that the benefits of macroeconomic stability are not reaching the bottom half of the income distribution, deepening public distrust.
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