Protests spread from France to Portugal and Germany, and police are mobilized en masse in Europe

The protests that began in France spread this weekend to other European countries. According to Fox Business, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in several countries, and France mobilized 70,000 police officers across the country and in Paris. In Portugal and Germany, the police also had to intervene.

In France, tens of thousands of people marched for the third weekend in a row. According to reporting by Jeff Paul, direct from London, security forces used tear gas, water cannons and stun grenades to reestablish order.

In Lisbon, the police advanced to dismantle a protest camp. In Frankfurt, Germany, the broadcaster reported violent clashes, with the situation spiraling out of control as hooded protesters destroyed property. According to Fox Business, the acts question the cost of living, public spending cuts and mandatory military service. A minister described the way the demonstrations ended as shameful and called for harsher penalties.

Economy and immigration at the center of the debate

International relations analyst Rebecca Grant, a guest on the program, linked the revolt to the situation of young people. According to her, European youth see a political system in collapse, and cited unemployment of 8% in France and 6.5% in Germany. In her assessment, Europe is behind in artificial intelligence and technology and is suffocated by European Union regulations.

Presenter Cheryl, in turn, cited data from a foreign population of 65 million people in Europe, of which 29 million would have arrived across borders. She said French workers give half their income to the government and illegal immigrants put pressure on social services. Grant described the situation as a volatile mix of economic problems and large-scale immigration, and mentioned former Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy.

What does this mean for the United States

The debate extended to the American scene, during election week in the country. For the analyst, European regulation directly affects companies like Amazon, Google and Microsoft, which, according to her, fuel the innovation that keeps the US ahead of China. She stated that it is necessary to ensure that the same path is not followed in the United States and defended resisting excessive regulation, citing the deregulation promoted by the Trump administration.

The presenter raised concerns about benefit systems already under pressure, such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. In the program's view, when a large portion of income goes to the government, those approaching 60 begin to depend on services and benefits that are at risk. Grant advocated avoiding the expansion of programs that increase dependence on the State.

For investors, the episode shows how the combination of high taxes, heavy regulation and youth unemployment fuels social instability. All these reviews are from the channel and its guest. The report did not provide data on stock market reactions, interest rates or exchange rates.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.