Gen Z takes to the streets. Europe on the edge
Mariusz Gabriel B.editor-in-chiefGen Z takes to the streets. Europe on the edge
From Paris to Tirana, young people are protesting against expensive housing, neglected schools and the rising cost of living. In several countries the protests have turned into riots.
Autumn 2026 is a season of youth revolt in Europe. School pupils, students and young workers – the generation born roughly between 1997 and 2012 – are taking to the streets in more than a dozen countries. The reasons are similar: expensive housing, neglected schools and universities, high prices and a feeling that work offers no chance of an independent life.
Where it is most tense
The most serious situation is in France, where school blockades turned into riots, looting and arson, and in Albania, where daily clashes with police have been taking place in Tirana since 13 October. Violent riots also swept through Milan, Turin and Bologna. In Spain the protest takes the form of a tent camp in central Madrid, and in Greece students pitched tents on Syntagma Square. Protests have also been recorded in Belgium and Portugal.
Why now
According to sociologist Prof. María Silvestre of the University of Deusto, young Europeans feel a strong sense of uncertainty and lack of control over their own future (AP). In Spain the minimum wage is €1,221, while the average rent for an 80 m² flat is about €1,130. In Italy inflation reached 4.2 per cent in September. In Greece average pay has stagnated since 2009.
What next – key dates
- 25 October – snap election in Serbia; a student list is standing.
- 25 October – calls for a “Gen Z” march in London are circulating online; the Met Police believes the posters are probably AI-generated (United Kingdom).
- 31 October – youth demonstrations in 21 cities in Germany.
- 11 November – general strike in Spain, the first in 14 years.
- 29 November – snap parliamentary election in Spain.
What it means for the Polish community
If you are travelling to France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Albania or Serbia in the coming weeks, check the advice before you go and avoid gatherings. We have gathered practical tips on the page Polish diaspora: travel safety.
As at 23 October 2026. Figures are given according to authorities or agencies; where the authorities' and organisers' figures differ, we give both.
Situation by country
France · RiotsA school students’ revolt turned into riotsIt began with school blockades near Paris. After four weeks 550,000 people took to the streets, and Paris, Lyon and Marseille saw looting and arson.
Albania · RiotsEducation ministry in flamesUniversity and school students joined the “Flamingo” movement. Molotov cocktails, water cannon and about 300 injured. Prime Minister Edi Rama does not intend to step down.
Italy · RiotsMilan like after a warLooting and arson in central Milan, more than 100 police officers injured. The government responds with a decree: 500 soldiers on the streets and penalties for parents.
Spain · Square occupationTents on the Puerta del SolThe eviction of an 87-year-old woman set the whole country alight. Over 1,200 tents in central Madrid, a snap election and a general strike in November.
Greece · Clashes and arrestsTents on Syntagma, arrestsThousands of pupils, students and teachers in nine cities. A march in Athens ended in clashes, and police arrested dozens of people.
Serbia · Wygrana studentówStudenci wygrali wyboryStudenci, którzy przez dwa lata protestowali na ulicach, wygrali wybory. Lista Studencka ma ok. 52 proc. głosów, a rządzący od 2012 r. obóz Vučicia uznał porażkę.
United Kingdom · Vigilance“Gen Z” calls onlinePosters call for a march in London on 25 October and protests in Birmingham and Manchester. Police are monitoring the situation. We also recall the 2024 riots and Northern Ireland.
Niemcy · NA ŻYWO · 31.10Protesty trwają – na żywoDziś, 31 October, „Gen Z regelt” protestuje w ponad 30 miastach, organizatorzy mówią o ponad 160 tys. uczestników. Chodzi o edukację, koszty życia i pobór do wojska. Policja jest w gotowości, organizatorzy odcinają się od przemocy.
Poland · CalmCalm before the storm?There are no mass youth protests in Poland. An expert warns, however, that the absence of protests does not mean an absence of frustration.
Polish diaspora · GuideSafe travel – a guideFlying to Paris, Milan, Madrid or Tirana? See what to do before you go and how to behave if you come across a protest.
Croatia · CalmStudents fought for their payAbout 800 students were not paid for their September work. They threatened to protest – the retail chain paid up. In the spring tens of thousands protested in Zagreb.
Bosnia and Herzegovina · CalmYoung people forced a resignationIn February, after a tram derailment in Sarajevo, young people took to the streets and forced the cantonal prime minister to resign. The autumn is calm.
Montenegro · CalmStudents demand resignationsAfter the Cetinje massacre, students blocked roads in seven towns, demanding the resignation of the ministers responsible for security. The protests were peaceful.
Sources
- AP / Fortune – Europe’s Gen Z takes to the streets
- Onet – This may be the end of Europe as we know it
- Euronews – Albania: unrest escalates
- Wikipedia – 2026 French student protests
Compiled by THE BUSINESS TIME newsroom from the sources listed. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licences.
