Fuel-price protests give Europe’s far right momentum ahead of elections
Fuel costs linked to the Iran war are driving protests across Europe and giving far-right parties fresh momentum ahead of elections next year in France, Italy and Poland. The European Commission estimates the conflict has cost Europe about €100 billion ($112 billion) through disrupted trade and energy markets; gas prices have risen about 140% and diesel prices have doubled.
Bottom line — Fuel prices are becoming a campaign issue in France, where Marine Le Pen’s ratings have improved as Emmanuel Macron’s have slipped, according to Elabe polling.
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Protests in France grew from demonstrations over school facilities into unrest involving looting and fires, including at a 19th-century town hall in Limoges.
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Farmers in Sicily say fuel costs have more than doubled; roadblocks in southern Italy have contributed to local fuel shortages and concerns about supermarket supplies.
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Gilles Ivaldi of Sciences Po says purchasing power has become a major driver of populist politics across Europe.
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In France, Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon have both made fuel prices central campaign issues; Le Pen’s proposal to cut VAT on fuel has attracted broad public support.
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Germany’s AfD is leading national opinion polls and is calling for energy ties with Russia to be restored, while energy-price inflation reached 14.9% in September.
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Far-right parties in Italy and Poland are also advocating renewed Russian energy links, according to the articles.