Europe’s youth take to the streets as the post‑war promise of a better life breaks down

On 21 October, a group of 14-year-olds stood in Place de la République in Paris holding up a placard: “My Grandmother in 1968, Me in 2026.” The same day in Athens, pupils from the Ilion Music School sang “Bella Ciao” on the steps of the Propylaea for their French peers. From Paris to Brussels and from Berlin to Athens, young Europeans are back on the streets. They are protesting about crumbling schools, unaffordable rent and budget cuts. Underneath is a wider grievance: the post-war pledge that each generation would do better than the last no longer applies to them. “You matter”, “Everything is going to be fine”, “You will succeed in whatever you do” – these are among the many reassuring messages children often hear as they grow up. But such promises have increasingly given way to more immediate needs and necessities: affordable rent, good schools, secure employment, and social and healthcare protection when things go wrong. But what happens when the traditional milestones of adulthood – a degree, a stable job, a home and financial independence – seem increasingly out of reach? Young French students have invoked their grandparents’ May 1968 protests, but history does not repeat itself. German students, Belgian demonstrators, and young Romanians, Spanish or Greeks taking to the streets are all calling for political transformation. Europe is getting older On 1 January 2025, 22 percent of the European Union's population was aged 65 or over, compared with 17 percent in 2005. That represents approximately 99 million people. The EU's median age has also risen from 39.6 to 44.9 years over the same period, according to Eurostat. The post-war decades in Europe were built around an ambitious social promise: that education, employment and social protection could offer each generation better prospects than the previous one. The expansion of welfare states, public education and social security helped establish a model in which economic growth was accompanied by expectations of social mobility. Today, that expectation is under pressure. Rising public debt, budgetary constraints and austerity policies have forced governments to reconsider spending priorities. Education, healthcare and social protection have increasingly become part of difficult budget negotiations. And for younger generations achieving the same degree of financial and social security, as the two previous generations seem suddenly out of reach. Different countries, shared frustrations Brussels, the EU capital as well as the Belgian one, has been the scene of several demonstrations, just like other European capitals, since October, bringing together thousands of people. With no agreement on a budget, the coalition government is in freefall. Centre-right prime minister Bart de Wever submitted his resignation to the king on 2 October, but it was not accepted. But cuts still need to be made. Belgium's public deficit reached €33.22bn last year, representing 5.2 percent of its GDP. In its 2026 conclusions, the National Bank of Belgium points out that “the decline in revenue could not be offset by spending restraint.” The reforms targeted pensions, unemployment benefits, healthcare and public spending – the social protection of the state. “Those Who Sow Misery Reap Anger,” was the slogan on some protestors' placards. The demonstrations were led by trade unions, but young people have also joined in. Students and secondary-school pupils have expressed concerns about education funding, school conditions, access to higher education and their future employment prospects. The German initiative Gen Z Steht Auf [Gen Z Stands Up] took it in a different way. The movement began with youth, as it was the case in France – the biggest youth movement across Europe yet. The Germans called for demonstrations in 21 cities on 31 October across the country. And their demands extended beyond education. Greater investment in social security, health care and affordable housing while opposing military conscription.