Rising fuel prices and living costs are fuelling protests across Europe, giving far-right parties fresh momentum ahead of key elections in France, Italy and Poland
Europe Erupts Over Soaring Fuel Prices as Far Right Seizes Political Opportunity
By Newsheadline247
Fuel price anger is spreading across Europe, triggering protests and intensifying political pressure on governments as far-right parties seize on the cost-of-living crisis to strengthen their appeal ahead of elections in France, Italy and Poland.
From farmers blocking roads in southern Italy to demonstrators taking to the streets in France, rising energy costs are deepening public frustration over food prices, transport expenses, housing and household bills.
According to a Reuters report monitored by NewsHeadline247, the growing unrest is providing fresh momentum for political movements that have been gaining support among voters disillusioned with mainstream parties, particularly in rural communities and economically vulnerable regions
The US-Iran war, which erupted in February and sent energy prices sharply higher, has compounded the economic challenges facing European governments already grappling with inflation, sluggish growth and pressure to rein in public spending.
In Sicily, farmers driving tractors into the southern Italian town of Gela have joined protests against rising fuel costs, saying the expense of running agricultural machinery has become increasingly difficult to bear.
One protest banner captured their frustration with the words: “We cultivate the land, we harvest debts.”
“We are completely at a standstill,” said Arcangelo Gambino, a farmers’ representative in Caltanissetta province. “The (fuel) cost has more than doubled.”
Roadblocks organised by truckers, farmers and steelworkers have disrupted transport across parts of southern Italy, contributing to local fuel shortages and raising concerns about supermarket supplies.
France has also been hit by widespread unrest. Demonstrations that began over deteriorating school facilities in northern Paris suburbs have escalated into some of the country’s worst violence in decades, with shops looted, buildings set ablaze and a 19th-century town hall in Limoges reportedly set on fire.
“Why am I here? Well, quite simply, I find the current cost of living truly terrifying,” said Quentin Leviloux, a 21-year-old protester in Nantes.
“Just think of people who earn barely the minimum wage, when you look at the cost of food, fuel, and everything else. It’s terrifying how incredibly expensive things have become.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged the “legitimate demands” of protesters angered by rising living and fuel costs while condemning violence and looting.
In a weekend address, he said: “We must never confuse them with those who destroyed, vandalised and looted.”
The European Commission estimates that the Iran conflict has cost Europe approximately €100 billion ($112 billion) through disrupted trade and energy markets. Gas prices have reportedly surged by about 140 per cent, while diesel prices have doubled.
The unrest has spread beyond France and Italy. Tens of thousands of people marched through Lisbon on Saturday to protest low wages, rising housing costs and the broader cost-of-living crisis, increasing pressure on Portugal’s centre-right government.
In Spain, the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home sparked nationwide demonstrations over housing shortages and soaring rents, helping trigger a snap election scheduled for next month, according to the supplied report.
Belgium has also witnessed demonstrations, while rallies in Albania have reflected anger over perceived government corruption, unemployment and poor education standards.
Political analysts say the protests point to a broader shift in European politics, with concerns over purchasing power increasingly influencing voting intentions and strengthening populist movements on both the right and left.
Gilles Ivaldi, a political scientist at Sciences Po, said concerns about purchasing power had become “a major driver of populist politics” across Europe.
The energy crisis has also reopened debate over Europe’s relationship with Russia. Politicians on both the hard right and hard left have argued that restoring energy ties with Moscow could help reduce costs, challenging the position of mainstream European governments that support Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
In France, rising energy prices have become a major political issue ahead of the presidential election scheduled for next April, according to the source report. Macron’s government is also facing pressure over a widening budget deficit and concerns in bond markets.
Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally and veteran hard-left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon have both made fuel prices central to their political campaigns.
“Rising fuel prices are clearly an issue that boosts Marine Le Pen,” Ivaldi said. “I think this is an issue she has owned for quite some time.”
Polling by Elabe, as cited in the source report, indicates that Le Pen’s ratings have improved since the Iran war began, while Macron’s have declined.
Le Pen’s proposal to sharply reduce value-added tax on fuel has attracted broad public support, according to the report. Analysts say the policy resonates particularly strongly with her supporters in rural and semi-rural areas, where reliance on private cars makes transport costs difficult to avoid.
Germany is experiencing similar political tensions, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading national opinion polls after making significant gains in local elections, according to the supplied report.
The cost of living has reportedly topped Germans’ concerns for five consecutive years in a survey published this month. Inflation in Germany also climbed to nearly a three-year high in September, while energy price inflation reached 14.9 per cent, providing the AfD with further grounds to criticise Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government.
The party is advocating a restoration of energy ties with Russia, arguing that Berlin’s support for Ukraine has placed unnecessary pressure on Germany’s economy and energy-intensive industries.
Jan Steckel, a professor of the political economy of climate change at the Technical University of Munich, said previous experience suggested a link between high energy prices and increased electoral support for the AfD.
“Populist parties often frame energy costs as avoidable and attribute them to government policy choices … rather than to the underlying geopolitical shocks that drive them,” he said.
“These geopolitical shocks are … much more difficult to explain. And I think this is why incumbent parties often struggle.”
Similar arguments are gaining traction in Italy and Poland.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is facing growing competition from National Future, a new far-right party led by former army general Roberto Vannacci, which advocates restoring gas links with Russia.
In Poland, concern over energy bills is helping strengthen support for the far-right Confederation of the Polish Crown, according to the report. The party’s leader, Grzegorz Braun, has called for Poland to resume purchasing Russian oil and gas.
Braun has also made the case alongside AfD politicians in Lubmin, Germany, where the damaged Nord Stream pipelines come ashore.
“I love the smell of Russian gas in the morning,” he said.
As households and businesses struggle with higher energy costs, the growing unrest presents a significant challenge for Europe’s political establishment. With elections approaching in several countries, the ability of governments to address affordability concerns could become a decisive factor in shaping voter sentiment and the continent’s political direction.
Source: REUTERS
