A wave of protests has swept across Europe in recent weeks, with demonstrations reported in more than 30 countries. The unrest reflects growing discontent over economic pressures, public spending and military policies. 

In France, student-led protests that began in late September over underfunded schools have broadened to include demands for higher wages and better public services. In Spain, a nationwide general strike on November 11 brought the housing crisis and declining purchasing power into focus. In Germany, young people have taken to the streets to oppose plans to reintroduce compulsory military service, while protests in Italy have drawn in farmers and workers concerned about rising fuel and production costs. 

Against this backdrop, Massimiliano Ay, general secretary of the Communist Party of Switzerland, argues that the protests reflect a deeper crisis in Europe's post-war social and economic order.