Government failure

Protesters in France and Spain Are Angry at Government Failure—and Demanding More Government

France’s education crisis and Spain’s housing shortage will not be solved with yet more government intervention.

Reem Ibrahim | 10.12.2026 10:00 AM

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(Illustration: David Cruz Sanz/ZUMAPRESS/KONRAD K./SIPA/Newscom)

Student protests have swept across France in recent weeks—and on Friday, the protesters promised to continue, with 141 schools across the country remaining closed.

The protests began on September 21, at Saint-Exupéry high school in a Parisian suburb, against understaffing and a lack of resources. Students joined teachers on strike at the school, spurring nationwide protests that became increasingly violent. A 15-year-old boy had his hand blown off outside a high school in Lens, a northern French town, and a head teacher was doused in gasoline.

France is not the only European country feeling domestic unrest right now. Thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets to protest the country's housing crisis after an 87-year-old woman, who has since died, was evicted from her home in Madrid after she was unable to keep up with rapidly rising rents. The protests have prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call a snap election.

These seemingly unrelated crises were both sparked by what are obvious failures in government policy. But in both cases, protestors have sought to rectify their frustrations with the government by calling for more government action.

The French school system is heavily........

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