00:00Well, for more on the wave of protests sweeping Europe, I'm joined by the political journalist Alexander Seel.
00:06Alexander, thank you very much for being with us.
00:08Now, we've seen protests in France, as well as Italy, Greece, Spain, a real smorgasbord of different reasons.
00:15But is there a common thread linking them?
00:18Yes, absolutely. I think the common thread is a growing sense of frustration,
00:24particularly among young Europeans who feel that their governments are failing to deliver a decent standard of living.
00:31Look at France. The demonstrations began with students complaining about overcrowded classrooms,
00:39missing teachers and deteriorating school buildings.
00:42But they've developed into something much bigger with protests over living costs, wages and public services.
00:49In Spain, the focus is largely on housing. In Greece, it's education and the cost of living.
00:55And in Italy, we're seeing anger over wages, energy prices and government policies.
01:01What's interesting is that these countries have governments from different political backgrounds.
01:07So this isn't something about left-wing or right-wing politics.
01:11It's about whether governments can deliver economic security and opportunities for the next generation.
01:18And there is another important economic factor, even though inflation has slowed down in different parts of Europe.
01:25That doesn't mean prices have returned to where they were.
01:30Food and energy and housing remain expensive and wages haven't necessarily kept pace.
01:36So people are being told the economy is improving, but they're not necessarily feeling that improvement in their everyday lives.
01:44And as you mentioned with France, in several countries, it's students protesting over education as well as housing costs.
01:51I mean, why do you think that young Europeans in particular feel that their futures are being compromised?
01:57Yes, I think that's exactly what's happening.
01:59For decades, young Europeans were told that if they studied hard, went to university and found employment,
02:07they could build a comfortable life, but increasingly that promise feels out of reach.
02:12Take Greece on Wednesday, around 10,000 students and teachers demonstrated in Athens and its suburbs, according to police figures.
02:22They're demanding better funded education and more teachers and affordable accommodation.
02:27And in Spain, we're seeing protesters setting up tents in central Madrid because they simply cannot afford housing.
02:36And the frustration is even is that even young people with qualifications and jobs are struggling to become financially independent.
02:44And I think there is a general dimension here.
02:48Many young people feel that they may actually be worse off than their parents.
02:54That is particularly worrying because when young people lose confidence in their future,
03:00they can absolutely lose confidence in the political system.
03:03Alexander Seale, many thanks indeed for your input.
