The protests in Europe reveal a complicated generational clash

A protester throws fireworks during a demonstration organized by unions, as part of nationwide mobilizations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, France, on October 31, 2026 (REUTERS/Pedro Nunes)Sébastien Ducros, a French data analyst who supports the numerous student protests that have spread across his country, pointed to an obvious culprit in the lack of public funds to repair dilapidated schools. "A large share of the money goes to retirees, while many other things are being neglected," said Ducros, 36. He added that he felt his parents, who are about to retire, were in a position to give up part of their pension payments. But Laurent Grinwald, 72, who recently retired after decades of working as a postal employee, is not particularly enthusiastic about seeing his pension — the sacrosanct foundation of the European welfare system — reduced, especially if it is to pay for other state-funded services. Especially, he said, because rents and the cost of living have skyrocketed. "We've been working all this time," said Grinwald. "And now, suddenly, the stance is: 'Well, no, we're going to start taking a bit more'?" This disagreement reflects a broader question for Europe, which lies at the heart of the recent mass protests against governments, led by frustrated young people in countries such as Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy and Portugal. As Europeans live longer, should the needs of the young be relegated behind the pensions of their parents and grandparents, which often represent the largest line items in European national budgets? "It's a generational clash," said Jorge Galindo, director of EsadeEcPol, an independent think tank in Spain, which has some of the most generous pensions in Europe. In much of Europe, he said, spending on a growing population of older adults has come at the expense of services and subsidies for young workers, whose tax contributions help finance the pensions. "The current pension system doesn't make much sense with rising life expectancy," said Galindo. The runaway increase in defense spending, driven by pressure from the United States and Russian aggression, has also made it harder for governments to keep their finances in order. In addition, high interest rates have made paying public debt more expensive. A protester gestures in front of an inscription that translates to "freedom" at Place de la Republique on the day of a demonstration, as part of a new day of protests against the cost of living and rising fuel prices organised by the "Yellow Vests" movement and labour unions and joined by high school and university students, in Paris, France, November 7, 2026. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYAll of that, together with rising rents and housing prices, has aggravated a sense of generational injustice among young people. Only 38% of people between 15 and 30 believe that lawmakers take into account the long-term consequences of their decisions, according to a recent European Union survey that also found that only a third believe that today's young people have the same chance of success as young people 30 years ago. The enormous financial burden of pensions — which devour around 40% of social protection spending in the European Union — has not gone unnoticed by European governments. Over the past decade, many countries have tried to adjust pension formulas, seeking to reduce costs while postponing the biggest political repercussions. Often, they have avoided cutting what is paid to each retiree while gradually raising the age at which citizens qualify for those payments, to 65 or 67, for example, or more. Denmark plans to raise it to 70 by 2040. Even that approach has come at a political cost. When French President Emmanuel Macron tried to raise the country's retirement age from 62 to 64 in 2023, it sparked protests so furious that the government ultimately froze the measure. But that left the country with a different problem. France, which has one of the highest debt levels in Europe, says it cannot afford to spend more on education, fueling the youth anger driving the wave of unrest. Other countries have tried other ways of softening the generational competition, including the United Kingdom, which plans to save a billion by slowing the pace at which its pension payments rise over time, and Spain, which has expanded its base of tax-paying workers. A man uses his mobile phone at a camp set up at the Puerta del Sol to protest against the housing crisis in Spain (REUTERS/Alejandro Martinez Velez/File)In 2011, Spain decided to raise its retirement age to 67 in most cases. Then, the current left-wing government increased pension spending by guaranteeing that pensions would be adjusted in line with inflation. The measure protects beneficiaries from rising prices, but it represents an enormous strain on the budget. To offset those costs, it has gone against the European trend and opened its doors to migrant labor: since 2018, more than 1.7 million foreigners have entered the Spanish workforce. Those workers have boosted tax revenue, which in turn helps finance pension contributions. However, experts point out, over time they too will age. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, by 2050 Spain will spend 17.3% of its gross domestic product on pensions, roughly four percentage points more than now. That means the government would spend the equivalent, in current terms, of an additional $67 billion each year on pensions. Currently, it spends approximately $79 billion on education. Despite the competition for resources, many of the young people protesting across Europe refuse to blame their elders. "The truth is," said Alice Cossa, 22, an Italian student who recently protested in Venice, "we've never talked about that." Left-wing protesters often say that pensions and other benefits can be financed by taxing the rich and corporations. Their right-wing counterparts suggest reducing immigration and blame migrants for absorbing welfare benefits. Still, some feel that at least some pensions — specifically, those received by wealthy older people — should be reevaluated. "And us young people, less and less and less," said Alejandro Rojano, a 28-year-old bank employee who lives in a basement apartment in Madrid with a roommate. He said that even his own nonagenarian grandparents received far more than his monthly salary, which was less than 2,000 euros. No political party would dare cut the benefits of such a reliable and powerful voting bloc as retirees, he lamented. Of pension payments, he reflected: "It makes no sense, you know?" A man raises his hands as he walks past burning garbage containers during clashes after a protest, as part of a nationwide general strike in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (AP/Emilio Morenatti)Galindo, the think tank director, said that, given the entrenched political interests in protecting retirees, young people might have to form an electoral bloc focused on practically a single issue. Since European governments are usually formed from coalitions of smaller parties, such a party could become a kingmaker and get its concerns taken seriously with just a few seats. But young people represent an ever-smaller share of the European population, while the number of older adults, who are more likely to exercise their political power through their membership in unions and parties, is growing. And young and middle-aged Europeans resist cutting a benefit they hope to enjoy in the future. When Daniel Ramo, 46, left a recent teachers' strike in Madrid, in which they were protesting poor salaries and overcrowded classrooms, he remarked that he personally looked forward to receiving his generous Spanish pension after earning 2,100 euros net per month. Meanwhile, his parents' pension benefits would be there to help him in hard times. "I go on strike thinking I'm going to ask my father for money," said Ramo, who said his father's pension made him the biggest earner in the family. From the retirees' perspective, the hard-earned benefit helps keep families and European society afloat. "We personally earn more than our children," said Encarna Matilla, 72, while taking a stroll through Madrid's sunny Retiro park. She said her 88-year-old husband, who worked from age 14 to 70, received a pension payment of 2,700 euros, 60 percent higher than Spain's average salary, and helped support his great-grandchildren. "We are the safety net," she said.© The New York Times 2026.