France is cleaning up after violent demonstrations exploded across the country. The protests started as student demonstrations against underfunded and neglected schools, but soon morphed into broad-based complaints about skyrocketing living costs.
Authorities proved unable to contain the violence and the world has been treated to extraordinary scenes of national treasures looted and burned.
This is not just a problem for French President Emmanuel Macron, who steps down next year after a decade in office. The real cause of the violence, a government that provides fewer public services and cannot insulate its citizens from ever higher daily prices, is an issue for all of Europe. The resulting populism, driving citizens to the ends of the political system — some going right, others going left — promises more uncertainty, fear and violence until those concerns are addressed.
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