Protests erupt across Europe as cost of living fuels unrest

Europe is experiencing a series of protests across several nations, including France, Portugal, Italy, and Spain. France is facing the most severe wave of unrest, where the government has deployed the army in major cities to manage the situation.

Protesters are burning property and looting shops, malls, and other structures in their path. Italian protesters have also begun looting shops and malls as the unrest spreads.

Belgium is now also affected by the ongoing protests. In France, the protests originated with students expressing dissatisfaction with the education system, specifically regarding school facilities, teacher availability, and university fee structures.

People in Spain are agitating over other essentials and rising housing prices. Almost 21% of the EU population, which equates to 92.7 million people, is at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025.

Of those at risk, 19.3 million children are expected to face poverty or social exclusion in the EU by 2025. Specific poverty risks for 2025 include 25.7% in Spain, 22.6% in Italy, 21.2% in Germany, and 20.8% in France.

Some experts believe the poverty risk data may be manipulated and that actual numbers could be higher. The liberal economic model recognizes it will create winners and losers, and the role of the state has weakened over time in the name of the free market.

Riba is cited as the main reason for the failure of the liberal economic model, which currently dispels the myth that the system ensures rapid growth and development. Europe and the United States invented the Bretton Woods institutions to continue exploitation.

In contrast, the Islamic economic system ensures wealth redistribution through Zakat and encourages investment in productive means by forbidding Riba. The Chinese economic model centres on people's welfare while including a free market, openness, and competition.

The state plays a prominent role in the Chinese economic model in protecting common people's interests. The EU declared China an ideological rival, yet many European experts and ordinary citizens are discussing and want to learn from the Chinese model.