As France erupts, Europe's far right gains from fuel-price anger ahead of elections

• Rising fuel prices across Europe are fueling widespread protests and giving fresh momentum to far-right parties ahead of next year’s elections in France, Italy, Poland and elsewhere.
• Much of the pressure stems from the US-Iran war that began in February, which the European Commission estimates has cost Europe around €100Bn, with gas prices up about 140% and diesel doubling.
• In France, the unrest has become some of the worst in decades, with looting and arson, while Milan has seen clashes with police and roadblocks in southern Italy have led to fuel and supply shortages.
• Demonstrations have also spread to Portugal, Belgium and Albania, and in Spain, anger over housing helped trigger a snap election set for next month.
• Marine Le Pen has made fuel costs central to her campaign for France’s April presidential election, and her proposal to cut value-added tax (VAT) on fuel has helped lift her ratings as Macron’s have fallen.
• In Germany, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) now leads national polls, using high energy inflation to attack the government and pushing to restore energy ties with Russia, a strategy experts say works because populists can easily blame costs on policy choices.
• That pro-Russia argument is spreading, with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni now facing a new far-right rival in Roberto Vannacci, whose National Future party wants gas links with Moscow restored.

(Sources: Reuters)