The streets and squares of Europe and other continents are witnessing a wave of protests led by the youth. The actions that have taken place in more than 25 countries in recent weeks, while based on concrete and specific demands, are in fact an expression of discontent reflecting the deep-rooted social contradictions inherent in the current capitalist-imperialist system.
The youth have once again taken their place at the forefront of the struggle. In France, student protests that began against the deterioration of the education system, the shortage of teachers and budget cuts have turned into broader actions encompassing university students, educators, workers and other sections of society. The slogan “Budget for education, not for weapons!” reveals a striking reality: while governments are increasing military expenditure, they are simultaneously restricting the resources intended to meet the needs of the people. Youth in other countries are voicing similar demands. The high cost of living, low wages, unemployment, precarious working conditions, and difficulties in accessing housing and public services disproportionately affect the youth; naturally, these problems also deeply shake the families of the youth and the working class as a whole. These are not isolated problems or simple policy errors made by governments; on the contrary, they are the inevitable consequences of a system designed to prioritise capital accumulation and profit over human needs.
The scale and militant nature of these protests bear a political significance that goes far beyond immediate and concrete demands. Young people are not merely expressing their discontent; through their own lived experiences, they are beginning to realise that their struggle is inextricably linked to government policies and the social conditions imposed by capitalism. When students take to the streets against cuts in education and ally with workers against the rising cost of living, the necessary conditions are created for these singular demands to evolve into a broader, collective struggle against inequality and exploitation. This does not mean that all participants already possess an anti-capitalist consciousness or that a common political orientation exists. The consciousness of the masses is transformed right in the midst of the struggle; through experiences, clashes with power, and the comprehension of the root causes of the problems. For this very reason, the actions in question provide an important ground for the work carried out by our parties and revolutionary organisations: to link immediate demands with explanations of their structural causes, and to contribute to the transformation of the anger felt into consciousness and organisation.
In Albania, the protests are following a highly militant course; the concrete demands of the students are expanding and concentrating around the call for the Prime Minister’s resignation. In countries such as Italy, Belgium, Serbia, Portugal and Greece, the actions take the form of a challenge against low wages, rising energy costs and inadequate public services. In Spain, difficulties in accessing housing fit for human conditions have driven thousands of people to protest against property monopolies and the authorities responsible for these policies. In Chile and Argentina, the student movement has cornered the current governments.
Students are learning how to struggle and, at the same time, are beginning to realise the repressive nature of the state. Governments and mainstream media outlets have not only tried to discredit the protests, but have also activated a ruthless mechanism of repression. However, despite the severity of this repression, the struggle has not faded away.
The hundreds of thousands of students on the streets are challenging – in practice – the idea that the rise of the right signifies an irreversible retreat in terms of popular struggle. The fact that conservative forces have gained ground in institutional spheres does not mean they have also won the consciousness of the working class and the youth. Accumulated discontent can turn into resistance, organisation, and action even in environments where the right appears to have grown stronger. Of course, such discontent does not spontaneously evolve into a revolutionary stance; if left-wing organisations fail to present a clear political alternative, it can also be steered by reformist or reactionary forces.
Therefore, the fundamental task is not merely to support the protests, but to contribute to their political development, to strengthen the ties between students and workers, and to encourage the independent organisation of the masses. While defending urgent demands on the one hand, it is necessary, on the other hand, to demonstrate that education, employment, housing, and a dignified life cannot be guaranteed as long as the interests of the majority remain subordinated to the profit greed of a minority.
The youth rising up today demonstrate that the contradictions of capitalism give birth to resistance. The fundamental test facing our parties is to prevent this militant energy from dissipating through scattered protests; instead, to ensure that this energy is transformed into political consciousness, organisation, and a force capable of waging a struggle for power against the ruling classes.
Coordinating Committee