Gigin: protest movement in Europe will grow

Earlier European citizens took to the streets of their cities episodically while now it has already acquired a systemic character. Therefore, the ruling elites will not soon be able to ignore these moods of the people – as noted by Vadim Gigin, the Chairman of the Board of the Republican Belarusian Znanie Society, in his talk with Alfa Radio.

Programme host Vadim Shepet noted that French President Emmanuel Macron’s popularity rating dropped to a record low since 2019 amid pension reform. The poll showed that only 28 percent of the population support the actions of the French leader.

In turn, Vadim Gigin stressed that the quality of protests in Europe has changed – as is seen in the example of Germany and other countries.

“These movements are already systemic in nature, they began to become institutionalised, they have governing bodies, looking for relationships with legal political parties and public associations. The same is also beginning to be observed in France since the general protection of national interests is above some ideological contradictions, so the left and the right are beginning to merge, posing a real threat to the ruling elite.”

According to the political expert, the process in Italy, where Eurosceptics won and formed a new government, is interesting, “Many were guided by Silvio Berlusconi’s position while the real government took a different position, and that doesn’t suit people. We are seeing how the newly elected government of Italy is losing popularity, because it is required to fulfil those slogans and those promises that were made during the election campaign. People do not see the embodiment of these slogans, therefore, I think that this protest movement will grow.”

Moreover, Vadim Gigin focused on the fact that the opinion of political scientists has also changed. After all, now they unanimously say that the ruling European elites will not be able to ignore the moods of the people. Soon it may no longer be street protests, but something more. Since such speeches seriously change the political life of Western Europe.