Student protests that began in French high schools have spread to Belgium, Albania, Greece, Spain and Italy, turning Europe's autumn into a season of cost-of-living anger. The sparks differ by country, but decaying schools, soaring housing costs and austerity budgets are common threads.
Turkey's Daily Sabah, in an October 16 roundup, said this autumn's protests converge on school conditions and living costs. In France, they ignited in mid-to-late September when students around Creteil near Paris blockaded school gates; the October 13 march drew 161,500 people by the Interior Ministry's count and nearly 480,000 by union estimates. Details of the French unrest were covered in a separate October 18 report, so this article compares the wider European picture.
광고 문의 · 300×250South Africa's Daily Maverick reported that about 400 French high schools closed on October 2 and tear gas was used in Strasbourg. It said next year's education budget rises only 1.7%, below inflation, while debt interest is expected to overtake education spending. Students cited classes of around 35, teacher shortages and mouldy buildings.
Clashes in Belgium and Albania
In Belgium, protests that began in Liege spread to Brussels and other cities. Daily Sabah said some students face fees of up to 1,194 euros for 2026-27, and on October 9 students joined a union-led anti-austerity strike of tens of thousands. Water cannon, tear gas and fires marked clashes near Brussels Central Station.
In Albania, student grievances over universities and jobs merged with broader protests against corruption and inequality. The same report said that on October 15 demonstrators attacked government buildings and banks in Tirana, police used tear gas, water cannon and batons, and more than 100 were at one point arrested. Prime Minister Edi Rama refused to resign, condemned the violence and promised to address education concerns.
Rents, teacher strikes and the curfew reports
Housing is the core issue in the south. Around October 13, Greek students pitched tents in front of parliament in Athens' Syntagma Square demanding rent caps and more public dormitories. Teachers in the Madrid region began an open-ended strike on October 14 under the ‘Green Tide’ movement, and high school students in Turin and Rome occupied their schools, Daily Sabah said.
Separately, a partial night curfew in a northern French city, reported by Liberty Times and UDN on October 20, could not be verified in the English-language reports consulted for this article. The city and the hours have not been confirmed, and we will follow up once they are. Analysts say protests are unlikely to fade quickly while prices, austerity and housing insecurity overlap, though the effect of each government's response remains to be seen.
