Europe's Dominoes Are Falling. Which Country Might Be Next?

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The opening line of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel Anna Karenina describes his protagonist’s circumstances. Might it also describe countries? Unhappiness has been brought into sharp relief in Europe in recent days and weeks. France has been gripped by rioting so severe that localized curfews had to be imposed as beleaguered President Emmanuel Macron sought some form of order—a failure of authority that didn’t escape the attention of President Donald Trump. This is a kind of unhappiness specific to France in 2026: the street violence began after police lost control of protests that had begun over teacher shortages but mutated into complex grievances about the cost of living and political polarization, as well as outright criminality such as looting. The protests have also become a flashpoint in debates about French society, including about the effects of immigration and Islam on social cohesion.

France is hardly alone. Demonstrators have clashed with police in Italy and Belgium, while crowds demanding affordable housing have protested in Spain and Portugal. In Albania, a movement against corruption is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Everyone is unhappy in their own way. But there might be a deeper pattern where grievances increasingly overlap without identifying the cause or the solution: inflation, housing, public services and an uncertain future for the young. Newsweek has mapped those grievances, and our analysis shows that France is not alone as a country facing underlying pressure. Greece, which has yet to see unrest on the same scale, is level with France in a ranking of 32 European countries. More surprisingly, as a reference point, the United States would rank third if it were included, despite enjoying far better standards of living overall.

The familiar story

The wave of protests sweeping France has provoked sharply contrasting reactions in the American media. On the left, the emphasis has been on economic inequality and neglected public services. Vox argues that the unrest reflects something much deeper than dissatisfaction with schools. The progressive New Republic has attacked Trump's attempts to attribute the protests to mass immigration and Islam, saying that these claims bear little relationship to the movement's original demands.

On the right, by contrast, the unrest has become a cautionary tale about mass immigration, radical-left politics and the breakdown of public order. House Speaker Mike Johnson described the riots as a “chilling warning” to Americans about the consequences of left-wing policies. Conservative commentators have also accused the mainstream media of romanticizing student demonstrations while overlooking the influence of extremist groups. National Review argues that the violence had been developing for weeks and that the protests had increasingly been commandeered by radical activists pursuing causes unrelated to education. For progressives, therefore, France illustrates the dangers of inequality, austerity and political neglect. For conservatives, it demonstrates the consequences of weak government, failed integration and ideological extremism.

What is really going on

France's high ranking in Newsweek’s analysis is not difficult to explain. Its youth unemployment rate is 18.9 percent, while 12.6 percent of people aged 15 to 24 are neither in education nor employed. More than half of respondents in a World Risk Poll—55 percent—said their government does not care about them at all. France also ranks near the bottom of the group for political stability and under-25 life satisfaction. The latest unrest began with demands for more teachers, but found a much larger audience among people concerned about household bills and the quality of public services.

Greece has yet to experience unrest on the same scale in the current wave, but its warning signs are even clearer. Youth unemployment is 21.4 percent, life satisfaction among under-25s is the lowest of the 32 countries, and seven in 10 respondents say their government does not care about them. Today, October 21, teachers plan protests in Athens and other cities over pay and staffing. Their union says thousands of teaching positions remain unfilled. It offers an immediate test of whether frustration can turn into a broader mobilization.

Spain provides a more visible link between economic pressure and political consequences. Nearly a quarter of its young labor force was unemployed in 2025, the second-highest rate in the study. The encampment at Madrid's Puerta del Sol, prompted by the plight and subsequent death of an elderly renter facing a sharp rent increase, has made the housing crisis impossible to ignore, while teachers are also striking over pay and class sizes. An emergency election has been called for November 29. In Italy, where youth unemployment stands at 20.5 percent, the grievances encompass wages, schools, energy prices and public services. Recent clashes in Milan led to 271 arrests, according to police, and the government has announced additional troops for the city. Belgium has seen clashes around student protests; Portugal, where youth unemployment exceeds 20 percent, has had both mass union marches and housing encampments.