Anger Over High Fuel Prices Is Helping Far-Right Parties Grow Across Europe

Across Europe, people are angry about the rising cost of fuel and everyday goods. Protests have broken out in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and other countries. The unrest is growing — and so is support for far-right political parties that are promising to bring down prices. A war between the United States and Iran, which began in February, pushed energy prices sharply higher and made a hard situation even worse.

In France, demonstrations that started over poor school conditions in the northern suburbs of Paris quickly grew into some of the worst unrest the country has seen in decades. Protesters looted shops and set buildings on fire. A 19th-century town hall in the city of Limoges was even burned down. French President Emmanuel Macron said he understood protesters' 'legitimate demands' about rising costs, but he strongly condemned the violence and looting.

A young protester in the city of Nantes named Quentin Leviloux, age 21, explained why he took to the streets. 'Just think of people who earn barely the minimum wage, when you look at the cost of food, fuel, and everything else. It's terrifying how incredibly expensive things have become.' His words summed up what millions of Europeans are feeling right now.

The European Commission, which helps govern the European Union, says the Iran conflict has cost Europe around €100 billion — about $112 billion — through disrupted trade and energy markets. Gas prices have jumped about 140%, and diesel prices have doubled. Those increases hit farmers, truck drivers, and families especially hard, since they rely on fuel every single day.

In Sicily, an island in southern Italy, farmers drove their tractors into the town of Gela to protest. They said the cost of fuel has made it nearly impossible to run their farm equipment. 'We cultivate the land, we harvest debts,' read one protest banner. A farmers' representative named Arcangelo Gambino said, 'The fuel cost has more than doubled.' Truck drivers and steelworkers in southern Italy also blocked roads, causing fuel shortages and worries about supplies at grocery stores.

Protests spread far beyond Italy and France. In Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, tens of thousands of people marched over low wages, housing costs, and rising prices. In Spain, the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home sparked nationwide protests about housing shortages and soaring rents, which helped push the government to call a snap election. Belgium, Albania, and Germany have also seen rallies and demonstrations tied to economic frustration.

Political scientists say this kind of widespread anger is changing how people vote. Gilles Ivaldi, a political scientist at Sciences Po, said concerns about purchasing power — meaning how much people can afford to buy — have become 'a major driver of populist politics' across Europe. Populist politicians often tell voters that the government is to blame for their problems and that simple solutions exist. That message is finding a big audience right now.

In France, the next presidential election is scheduled for April. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, is currently the frontrunner. She has made cutting fuel taxes a key part of her campaign, and the idea is very popular — especially with voters in rural areas where driving is essential. Since the Iran war began, Le Pen's poll numbers have gone up while President Macron's have gone down.

In Germany, a far-right party called the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is now leading national opinion polls. German inflation hit a nearly three-year high in September, with energy prices rising 14.9%. The AfD argues that Germany should restore its energy ties with Russia, claiming that supporting Ukraine is hurting ordinary Germans. A professor named Jan Steckel explained that populist parties often blame energy costs on government choices, even when the real cause is complicated global events like wars.

Similar arguments are being made in Italy and Poland. In Italy, a new far-right party called National Future, led by former army general Roberto Vannacci, wants to restore gas supplies from Russia. In Poland, the far-right Confederation of the Polish Crown is gaining support partly by calling for a return to buying Russian oil and gas. Experts warn that calls to restore Russian energy ties could undermine Europe's support for Ukraine, which has been fighting a war with Russia since 2022.