France is in flames. What is actually happening?

France is in flames. What is actually happening?

It all started at schools on the outskirts of Paris. Students took to the streets to protest against poor school conditions, overcrowded classrooms, outdated buildings, and a shortage of teachers. Later, university students joined these demonstrations as well.

In France, protests usually spread very quickly. A large part of the rallies passes peacefully, with people expressing their grievances to the government regarding social problems using banners. However, for radical groups, demonstrations are a convenient opportunity to cause chaos and commit extortion. That was the case this time too: in the protests that began with schoolchildren's grievances, malicious groups "picked up the baton" and turned the peaceful protest into vandalism.

In democratic societies, it is considered normal for people to express their grievances to the government through peaceful protests. Let's look at what the real protesters—who do not burn anyone's car or loot anyone's shop—are dissatisfied with. The main discontent is linked to prices spiraling out of control, a version that the government itself has put forward. Parisians are complaining that housing prices and rent are disproportionately high compared to people's incomes. The problem is particularly noticeable in Paris: in this city, renting an ordinary apartment costs around 2,000 euros a month, but finding a job that pays that much money a month is not easy.

At this point, the question arises as to why rent prices are not set based on people's incomes. This is an issue related to the market economy. Paris is a destination flooded with tourists. Wealthy people from all corners of the world buy housing in this city and make money by renting it out. Rich investors investing in real estate naturally drives up prices.

As a result, many homes in Paris have become comfortable for wealthy tourists, but a luxury that swallows up a large portion of the salary for an ordinary French person working on a modest income. The protesters are dissatisfied with this; they believe that France should first and foremost be for the French, and that the government should help the local population.

This problem is found in many developed countries of Europe. Wealthy Asians have made it a habit to make money by buying real estate in Europe because they know that Europeans will not cheat, that the law works, and that no one will seize their property. This is also one of the factors that caused the ruling party in Germany to start losing regional elections.

So, if the problems are local, why is the emphasis being placed on the immigrant youth who took part in the protests? Because it was the children of these very immigrants who were active in the demonstrations. Ordinary French people took to the streets to convey a social problem to the government, but those youths raided shops.